Unlikely Alliances: A Tool-centered Approach to Collaborative Agencies in Improbable Constellations

What if tools were active collaborators – accomplices of users in gaining access to technology and co-designing desired futures? Through her PhD project Katrin Nora Kober explores the agency of tools in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Interaction Design (IxD), challenging traditional human-centered perspectives by positioning tools as agents within dynamic networks of human and non-human actors. Building upon the case of Making, i.e., the production of things by means of digital fabrication technologies, the thesis research highlights rarely acknowledged, symbiotic collaborations between tools, makers, and broader technological ecosystems through the conceptual lens of unlikely alliances. She investigates how tools shape access, expand or constrain the possibilities of their use, and foster self-determined identities in diverse making contexts. This inquiry aims to deepen the understanding of tool agency and shift attention toward uncovering overlooked practices. Ultimately, it seeks to inspire new design and research methodologies that position tools as co-agents in building inclusive, pluralistic, and materially grounded futures.