The Actor-Network Theory, or ANT, focuses on the interactions between human and non-human within a system and treats objects as part of social networks. At its core, Actor-Network Theory is a constructivist theory, where a single system is critically examined as a set of atomic subsystems.
Think of our own bodies as a machine, or a system, that moves to our will. We tend to think of ourselves as a whole, but the human body consists of many different actors and relationships occurring simultaneously. The sensory organs communicate with the brain through signals, blood pumps oxygen throughout the body, other organs extract nutrients from food and process waste, and so on. It is a very complicated system, but we think about it as a whole. In fact, we only notice the individual parts once something goes wrong, like a pain the joint or a stomachache; the illusion of the whole breaks, and we are aware of the multiple systems at work.
ANT seeks to expose these invisible relationships that are often overlooked. Like our bodies, technology is not a homogenous composition of our world, but it is a heterogeneous network of interactions. Even when typing this essay, I am not always aware of the keyword or my fingers hitting the correct keys, but it would be remiss to dismiss this interaction.
The way we view our own body and the way we integrate with our surrounding technology illustrates the characteristics of ANT not in the abstract, but as a natural occurring event. ANT suggests that technology development account for social context; both human and non-human actors are part of the design negotiations; each share a symbiotic relationship and influence each other. It is important to understand the actor network theory is descriptive rather than explanatory in nature. It is a tool for examining the nuanced atomic systems occurring within interactions. However, that does not make it less valuable for design; in fact, it can be considered fundamental.
We need to be conscious of the connections between actors, both human and non-human when developing new systems of interaction.