Boundaries and borders continue to draw political attention and create conflict on a global scale. They interrupt or facilitate people and money, and influence how designers and politicians alike work in opposition to oppression. This one-day workshop will explore the use of design research and computing practice in resisting and reifying inequalities. Recognizing that technology production is only a partial response to caring for ourselves and our environment, participants of this workshop will consider the design commitments, pedagogies, and labor that produce new strategies for more equitable futures.
We invite participants to share how we do, and how we might, bring our feminist ideals to bear upon the kinds of work that we perform (methods) and upon the forms of interaction that we participate in (culture). This workshop centers on three driving orientations of feminist design research:
- How do we translate feminist perspectives from scholarly discourse into practical action?
- How do we revise existing methods to align with our feminist values and beliefs?
- How do we intervene in the prevailing culture to identify and change attitudes, behaviors, and practices that work against equity and inclusiveness?
To facilitate and provoke this cultural change, participants will create a living sourcebook of feminist methods (including research methods, pedagogical tools, and approaches to scholarly writing) for dissemination to the design community. For more on the workshop goals and proposed outcomes, you download the full workshop proposal document here.
Apply to participate here.
At the Intersection of Culture and Method: Designing Feminist Action 