Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Computers and Composition 28 (2011) 195–204 Investigating an “Internet of Hybrid Products”: Assembling Products, Interactions, Services, and Networks through Design Jørn Knutsen *,1 , Einar Sneve Martinussen 2 , Timo Arnall 3 , Andrew Morrison 4 Institute of Design, Oslo School of Architecture and Design Abstract This article takes up the relations between products, people, and the Internet. Our investigation is set in the context of the emergence of networked and service-driven physical products. The article builds upon the curation and design of an exhibi- tion that pulls together recent hybrids composed of physical objects as well as digital things and networked services. Through investigating this selection of both prototypical and widely available consumer products, we seek to understand how the previously- separate domains of product, interaction, and service design might be combined in order to design and research new hybrid products, services, and interactions. Taken together, these investigations point toward an “Internet of Hybrid Products” that draws heavily from social practices in networked media that is already highly branded and in urgent need of attention from design research. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Norwegian Abstract I denne artikkelen drøfter vi forholdet mellom produkter, mennesker og internett. Vi setter søkelyset på fremveksten av nettverksbaserte og tjeneste-drevne fysiske produkter. Artikkelen er basert på en utstilling som samlet en rekke hybride produkter og tjenester. Ved å analysere dette utvalget av prototypiske og allment tilgjengelige produkter, ønsker vi å forstå hvordan produkt-, interaksjon- og tjenestedesign – som tidligere har blitt ansett som separate disipliner – kan kombineres for å designe og forske på nye hybride produkter. Ved å samle og analysere disse produktene ønsker vi å peke mot et «internett av hybride produkter», som blir tungt markedsført, som er tilstede i media og som har et stort behov for oppmerksomhet fra designforskning. * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: Jorn.Knutsen@aho.no (J. Knutsen), einar.snevemartinussen@aho.no (E.S. Martinussen), Timo.Arnall@aho.no (T. Arnall), andrew.morrison@aho.no (A. Morrison). 1 Mr. Jørn Knutsen PhD student, Institute of Design Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) Pb 6768 St. Olavs plass 0130 Oslo Norway Web: <http://www.aho.no/no/User-pages/Fag/J/Jorn-Knutsen/> <http://www.yourban.no> 2 Mr. Einar Sneve Martinussen PhD student, Institute of Design Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) Pb 6768 St. Olavs plass 0130 Oslo Norway Web: <http://www.aho.no/no/User-pages/Fag/E/Einar-Sneve-Martinussen/> <http://www.yourban.no> 3 Mr. Timo Arnall PhD student, Institute of Design Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) Pb 6768 St. Olavs plass 0130 Oslo Norway Web: <http://www.aho.no/no/User-pages/Fag/T/Timo-Arnall/> <http://www.elasticspace.com/> 4 Professor Andrew Morrison Research Coordinator Institute of Design Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) Pb 6768 St. Olavs plass 0130 Oslo Norway Web: <http://www.aho.no/no/User-pages/Fag/A/Andrew-Morrison/> <http://www.yourban.no> 8755-4615/$ – see front matter © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.compcom.2011.07.002