Ian King is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in value-sensitive design, the history of technology, and multi-lifespan information system design.

When you meet someone who doesn’t know about your research, how do you describe it?

Considering the history of computer information systems, there's a lot of information about what we built, who built it and how it was built.  What I want to explore is: Why did they build it, and why did people use it (or NOT use it)?  A particularly interesting transformation was the introduction of conversational interaction, and that's the focus of my dissertation – why did we stop punching cards and start pushing keys on a teletype?  Things aren't created in a vacuum – what drives innovation, and how can we understand that through the process of design that transforms idea into artifact?

Who is the faculty member working closest with you? What are you learning from him/her?

My advisor, Batya Friedman, has helped me truly grasp the social significance of technology, especially in my work with her on the Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal project.  As a result, my adoption of the sociotechnical system as a fundamental construct in understanding innovation is infused with a rich and vibrant human element, as I consider technological changes five decades in the past.  This has prepared me for the observation in my research of profound, transformational impact by these historical events.   

Why are you interested in this subject?

I have a long involvement in computer information technology, as well as a fascination with the history of computer technology – I am one of the founders of the Living Computer Museum in Seattle.  As reflected in my life's work, I know the "what" and "how" – I want to understand the "why."  Technological innovation is by no means 'inevitable' – why did inventor-designers go there, and why did – or didn't – people follow?  In the era I study, there were so many choices – why were some roads followed, and others not?  It's intriguing.   

What impact do you hope to make in the information field through your research/dissertation?

Value sensitive design has proven itself to be a powerful tool for thoughtful, socially responsible innovation, and I hope to demonstrate that its flexible 'toolbox' can be used for historical study of innovation as well. What did we do right, what did we do wrong, what can we learn from it, and how can that help us innovate in ways that are not only more 'successful' economically but also in terms of sustainability, inclusion, overall social justice and perhaps other human values?  Let's learn from our wins and our losses historically, and use that not only as data but also as guidance in terms of effective method.   

What surprised you the most when digging into your research?

I've been delighted by the range of experiences I hear from my interview subjects.  Their encounters with early information systems definitely affected their paths in life, but in fascinatingly diverse ways.  The same stepping stones led to many different paths.  

What are your career goals once you graduate?

I'm an odd case, because I already have a career (my fourth or so), as a rocket scientist (hardware/software simulation engineer) at Blue Origin.  But I anticipate being able to make time to teach at the university level on the subject of my doctoral work, as well as more general courses on computer history.  I also plan to remain active in research, writing papers and books.  I have two books in mind already: one on the history of the minicomputer of the 1970s and 1980s, and another on the peculiar value propositions of the Incompatible Time-sharing System (ITS) developed at MIT in the shadow of the corporate-sanctioned MULTICS project.  You only live once (depending on who you ask) – I plan to make the most of it. 

Visit Ian’s website.