Arne Berger

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Arne Berger is a design researcher whose work provocatively reimagines human-robot collaboration through the lens of queer theory and critical design. His most cited paper, "Useful Uselessness?" (2020, 9 citations), exemplifies this approach by documenting a seemingly unproductive act—teaching a commercial cobot to knit—as a site for examining alternative, non-normative uses of technology. Through rich pictorial documentation, Berger challenges conventional notions of efficiency and productivity in human-robot interaction, proposing instead that "useless" or playful engagements can yield profound insights into design research. His work sits at the intersection of human-computer interaction, participatory design, and feminist technoscience, where he consistently advocates for more inclusive, messy, and politically aware design practices. While his citation count is modest, Berger's influence is felt in the growing discourse around queer use, speculative design, and the politics of automation. His contributions invite researchers and students alike to question what it means to design with—not just for—machines, and to embrace the generative potential of failure and play.