The God-I-Box: Iteratively Provotyping Technology-Mediated Worship Services

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the development of alternative formats for religious rituals, such as Protestant online worship services. However, current design approaches focus on problem-solving, and the resulting online solutions merely imitate the offline status quo. To overcome these limitations, we suggest adopting a provotype approach that allows for a more holistic, open-ended dialogue with those affected. We iteratively developed a first provotype in response to tensions found in observation-based field research, aiming to test whether and how it can trigger productive impulses for exploring future technology-mediated worship services based on existing experiences and perspectives. The resulting God-I-Box exaggerates individuality and allows congregants to act almost like liturgists. An analysis of congregants’ and pastors’ (online) first encounters with the God-I-Box revealed three reaction modes: spontaneous emotions, reflective coping, and exploratory imagination. We conclude with reflections and recommendations for provocative research and design in this context and beyond.