Boing Boing and MAKE note a New York Times story about the Mosquito, a speaker unit produced by Compound Security which produces a high frequency sound (less audible to older people) in order to drive away teenagers hanging around in front of shops.
Anti-teenager sound weapon in Wales
Published November 30th, 2005 in Architectures of Control, Built Environment and Discriminatory Architecture. 18 CommentsSelf-enforcing speed limits, and control through deterioration
Published November 29th, 2005 in Architectures of Control, Built Environment, Motoring and User Psychology. 3 CommentsInteresting discussion at the SABRE roads forum on self-enforcing speed limits in the UK—current regulations mean that if a 20 mph zone can be created through a ’self-enforcing’ architecture of control (i.e. traffic calming) then it doesn’t legally need any signs to remind drivers, other than at the entrance to the zone.
Continue reading ‘Self-enforcing speed limits, and control through deterioration’
Motor insurance ‘black boxes’
Published November 28th, 2005 in Architectures of Control, Motoring and Privacy. 4 Comments
Last month, Norwich Union (one of the UK’s largest insurers) opened up its ‘black box’-based car insurance policy (see here) to a wider range of drivers, with a lot of publicity.
Welcome : About this site
Published November 16th, 2005 in Architectures of Control and Site Announcements. 16 Comments
Increasingly, many products are being designed with features that intentionally restrict the way the user can behave, or enforce certain modes of behaviour. The same intentions are also evident in the design of many systems and environments.
This site aims—with readers’ input—to examine and analyse the ideas and techniques of these architectures of control in design, through examples and anecdotes, and by keeping up-to-date with relevant developments. If you can suggest an example, please get in touch, or add a comment—all help is much appreciated.
