improviseduse

Improviseduse is a term used to describe the practice of using tools, devices, or systems in ways not originally intended or anticipated by their designers. It arises from necessity, curiosity, or flexible problem solving and is observed across everyday life, workplaces, and experimental settings.

It occurs in diverse contexts, including everyday household tasks, manufacturing, software, healthcare, and emergency response. In each case, users repurpose or adapt existing resources to meet new goals or constraints.

Key features include improvisation rather than formal change management, reliance on user intuition, and the emergence of latent affordances, which are functional possibilities not foreseen by designers but discoverable through use.

Studied in design, anthropology, and human-computer interaction, improvised use can drive innovation by revealing new needs and opportunities. It can also raise safety, reliability, and legal concerns when repurposing products beyond their guidance.

Limitations include variability in outcomes, potential damage to objects, and the risk of warranty voidance. Organizations may respond by documenting latent capabilities, offering guidance for safe experimentation, or redesigning products to better support flexible use.

See also: bricolage, user innovation, improvisation, repurposing.