Guidelines for Designing Artifacts for the Dual-process

We have developed an architecture model, MHP/RT, that is capable of simulating people's daily action selection processes as an implementation of the dual-process theory [1]. MHP/RT describes people's daily behavior as a cyclic process of action selection and memory formation. In our daily life, we spend a lot of time in interacting with artifacts, and therefore it is obvious that it should affect development of individual memory systems. At the same time, any particular artifacts that exist as they are should embed in themselves their own histories including their predecessors. Occasional innovations might have caused evolution of memory structure of mankind through people's interaction with the artifacts, and might have resulted in “splicing” evolution in the socio-cultural ecology. MHP/RT suggests that the cyclic processes should define strong constraints on sustainable innovation; as far as the cyclic processes function in utilizing an artifact implemented in a technological innovation, it should survive, otherwise it should fade away. This paper contrasts technique and skill, the two distinct forms of use of artifacts, and derives guidelines for designing sustainable artifacts that should support smooth development of people's skill necessary for using artifacts from their mere use via technique.