Information Systems theory on Improvisations
One of my favorite Information Systems thinkers is Dr. Claudio Ciborra who passed away in early 2005. He drew upon phenomenology to explain some of the challenges in information systems.
Probably one of his most important contributions was the notion of improvisation in information systems. He explained that while we attempt to control our corporate environments via technology so that we can effectively manage inputs and outputs, that might not always produce the best results. Claudio argued that improvisation is an important aspect of any information systems scenario meaning that as human beings some of our best results come when we are allowed to improvise in a given context. As a result, he felt that when designing or using information systems we must not ignore our âmoods feelings, affectations and fundamental attunement with the situation.â Our solutions too must give us enough flexibility to improvise.
In other words, our own humanness shapes our thinking, our responses and actions. This may not have been revolutionary for the social sciences, but when first introduced in the context of information systems it was revolutionary. So the next time you are designing or using a system, whether it is a website, an application or a wiki, recognize how your moods affect your interactions. And use those moods to imagine new designs as your users will always have different moods in which different solutions will meet their needs. In other words, let the improvisation happen.
For more on improvisations, read Labyrinths of Information.
