MOTIVATION

The impetus for undertaking this study emerged from my professional practice of 'making things happen' in the evolving digital culture of Amsterdam between 1988 and 2003. As will become clear later, I draw upon a great number of my own experiences and perceptions in trying to understand more about the design of presence. Therefore, my work as a designer and producer of concepts has had a significant influence on the work conducted here. The manner in which I have embedded my own experiences will be addressed in the next section. Here, I want to sketch briefly how the question "How to design presence in environments in which technology plays a crucial role?" has been informed by my 15 years of 'making things happen'.