Control
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Holly Whyte, in narrating his documentary The Social Life of Small Urban Space, observed:
“Even when there isn’t any apparent reason of any kind, people move chairs.”
(timestamp 20:30)
Whyte saw moveable chairs as important features in successful public urban spaces. Compared to fixed seating, moveable chairs offer choice, control, and flexibility — they give people a sense of agency, no matter how arbitrary.
Control is something we also expect from our digital objects and environments. Control, here, generally comes in the form of buttons, sliders, forms, and toggles. Similar to the moveable chair, the scope of this control is limited and pre-defined by whoever is building the thing (urban or digital space).
Make a website that reflects on agency, control, and change within digital space. Consider how elements of control alter the experience of a space.