The information
systems field emerged as a new discipline of artificial science as a
result of intellectual efforts to understand the nature and
consequences of computer and communication technology in modern
organizations. As the rapid development of digital technology
continues to make computers and computing a part of everyday
experiences, we are once again in need of a new discipline of the
artificial. This essay argues that the IS community must expand its
intellectual boundaries by embracing what is called here
experiential computing as an emerging field of inquiry in order to
fill this growing intellectual void. Experiential computing involves
digitally mediated embodied experiences in everyday activities
through everyday artifacts that have embedded computing
capabilities. Experiential computing is enabled by the mediation of
four dimensions of human experiences (time, space, actors, and
artifacts) through digital technology. Drawing on a research
framework that encompasses both behavioral and design sciences, six
research opportunities that the IS research community can explore
are suggested. Ultimately, the proposal is that the IS field return
to its roots, the science of the artificial, by decisively expanding
the scope of its inquiry and establishing a new domain of research
on computing in everyday life experiences.
Keywords: Experiential computing, science of artificial, design,
digitalization