The steampunk subculture re-imagines a world inspired by the Victorian and Edwardian eras, where brass, leather, and wood constitute common fabrication materials and where steam is used as a main power source.Through an analysis of the material available online to support Steampunk designers, interviews with steampunk enthusiasts, and our own involvement in the steampunk practice (Josh and Karen Tanenbaum), we gathered a range of information that help understand the design and making practices that support the ideological goal of steampunk.
As a result, firstly, the steampunk movement is of interest to us because it can, as a design fiction, provide an explicit model for how to physically realize an ideological and imagined world through design practice. And secondly, by looking at steampunk through the lens of social theories of practice, we have been able to identify a type of making practice, one that is inspired by aspirational goals. This is characterized by an overwhelmingly powerful meaning that can motivate practitioners to overcome steep learning curves and long design processes.
(*** This might need to be reworded a bit… and maybe add the value for IxD?***)