performing_patents_otherwise/web/content/section_3/making-of-interview.md

Making of: A collective interview

Creating Performing Patents Otherwise took a different set of expertise and foregrounded different roles than those that shape conventional print books. Simon Bowie, who did much of the backend coding, made it possible to integrate a fully searchable database of more than 230.000 clothing patents, and far from just being technical, this work shaped how the book works and, thus, how it can be read. Joana Chicau — a professional dancer, coder and designer — worked with us to create several ways readers might navigate the book and the underlying database in conceptually rich ways without becoming overwhelming. Her understanding of interface design as a kind of choreography shaped this book project in ways that go far beyond its look and feel. Meanwhile, Kat Jungnickel and Julien McHardy closely collaborated in conceptualising the project. Conceived as a collaboration between a publisher and an author, the project changed the publishing process. It challenged our functions in the publishing process as coders, designers, authors, editors and publishers. To capture that this shift has different implications for each of the involved roles, we choose to have a chat with the book publishing team to document our process.

In due time we will post an edited transcript and the audio file of our conversation about making Performing Patents Otherwise here. The discussion will take place on 15 April 2023 at the launch event of the project beta version at the feminist data and art space Varia, Rotterdam.