ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a framework, installation theory, to sort out and addresses the problems encountered by design projects for complex socio-technical systems, a quick presentation of activity theories. It illustrates the design technique in the domain of information technology systems supporting collaborative work in a large industrial organization. Designers should always think of the system as a socio-technical system: human operators and users, and the rules, are functional parts of the system, just as is the physical installation of machines and software. The trajectory of activity is a succession small problem to be solved of, which can each be seen as reaching a local sub-goal. In the course of "activity design," by focusing on creating the proper support environment to help the operator attain his goals, the designer will encounter several challenges for redesign. Experimental reality started one step further: we enabled continuous and direct contact between social scientists, designers, and users in a long-term process.
