Woman-Centered Design

This Conversation seeks to examine woman-centered design as a novel form of inquiry in design research practice. Drawing on the ‘woman-centered approach’put forward in (Almeida 2017), this Conversation contributes to discussions on the intersection of feminism (s), gender and design research. In the Conversation we will explore how design of technologies and interactions can act critically in the ways that they serve, refigure and redefine women’s bodies in light of what woman is. Through analyzing design artefacts, we will discuss what impact the understandings of woman have in the design of technology and interventions. Through making as a catalyst for discussion, we will explore how these understandings can contribute to inform the design of technologies for women. As suggested by Judith Butler,“what’sa woman is a question that should remain open”(Kotz and Bankowsky 1992), and we aim to facilitate an open Conversation about the challenges and opportunities of designing for and with woman, which will support the development of a conceptual framework for a woman-centered design methodology.