Jacquelyn Liu
Jackie’s OS is a speculatively reimagined operating system designed for (and with) my childhood self. A web-based experience simulating the childhood computing experience I wish I could’ve had, Jackie’s OS nostalgically longs for a timeline that never was – asking how things could have played out differently – both in how I grew up, and in the world of technology.
Description
Over my life, I’ve transitioned from a starry-eyed child fascinated by technology, to an adult disillusioned by her experiences in it. I’ve also begun to notice the dominant values that echo my social and technical worlds: I must be rational and productive, work to prove my value, quieten my emotions. Adulthood forces me to unpack some of these beliefs, but as I navigate a career in technology, how can I reconcile with ideologies still so ingrained in computing culture? What can it look like to refigure my relationship with computing, by going back to its roots?
My response is Jackie’s OS: a speculative reimagining of my childhood computer that dreams about an alternate timeline of my formative, (twee)n years in the mid-2000s. Drawing from research of computing systems as echoing patriarchal, hegemonic values about intelligence, productivity, and control, I ask: what if my computer could embody values I wish I could’ve seen? That I have value the way I am, deserve to have space for emotions, and have agency on my own terms?
These values are the core design principles in Jackie’s OS and its reimagined graphical user interface, file system, user authentication, and applications. In a simulated, web-based operating system, visitors can encounter the alternate-reality world of my past self by clicking around the interface, exploring my things, and playing with applications – all designed in my whimsical, childhood imaginary.
A playfully critical exploration specific to my personal experiences in technology, Jackie’s OS is my starting point to explore what it could mean for others (especially those in technology, and those younger than me) to reflect on how emotional needs could be better met, to dream of how things could be, and to develop new relationships with technology through modes of reconciliation, healing, and care.
Classes
Presentation Video
https://jackieis.online