We decided to pose some questions based on themes throughout this section of the course in order to directly compare our takeaways and experiences with the material. We then reflected on each other’s inputs and why these responses differ.
How has your perception of ‘inclusive design’ changed through this section of the course?
G: The dangers of assuming a standard default when designing for an assumed user have become more obvious to me. Unspoken biases and preconceptions will invariably affect the designer’s vision. Furthermore, truly inclusive design may not be an ideal that is realistic or even desired- one criticism being that focusing too much on the universal accessibility of a single product deflects attention from improving the distribution of usability throughout society as a whole.
T: I think it’s an interesting balance that has to be struck between inclusivity and exclusivity. I think most people subconsciously design less inclusive than they should but have an ideology that they should design even more inclusively than they need to. Like we discussed in class, a certain level of exclusivity allows for the specific needs of the user group to be met, instead of a fully inclusive design that doesn’t fully address any specific needs and has little utility to all. Wide iInclusivity needs to be represented and considered in the development but not manifested in all final outcomes.
How do you plan on incorporating emotionally durable design methods into your process? How will this be manifested in final products?
G: The concept of “hedonistic design” is a novel one, challenging my previous notions of what defined objectively good design. Perhaps products should aim not just to provide pleasure, but also challenge their users in ways conducive to growth and longer term satisfaction. For me personally, the most obvious application of this would be creating more provocative art that communicates my message regardless of how comfortable it makes the viewer feel.
T: The conversations on hedonism and the psychological background of experiences really stuck with me, but I think I need to gain a greater understanding of emotional processes to fully utilize this in my process. Until I have more experience with this way of thinking, I worry that incorporating emotionally durable methods may just lead to unsatisfactory outcomes instead of a hedonistic outcome that may not be ideal, but provides some short term satisfaction. I think this won’t be something directly manifested through specific aspects of final products but rather would appear through the usage metrics and qualitative experiences after long-term consumption.
How has your awareness of your responsibility to design justice changed since starting this unit? How does this new understanding of your position within the matrix of domination affect your worldview?
G: Humans are not inherently frightened by differences, contrary to what we may have been led to believe. I have a slightly clearer understanding of how different aspects of my identity and upbringing overlap to generate my position in the matrix, as well as my potential design blind spots. Through the various design research methods we touched upon, we can expand our understanding and worldviews to grow as empathetic designers.
T: A common theme within what we’ve discussed through this class is finding a balance for many of the concepts we’ve discussed. This applies to worldview, privilege, and biases as well. Our unique backgrounds allow for diverse inputs, perspectives, and contributions, and a sometimes idealized homogeneous society can hinder progression, in my opinion. Acknowledging one’s position on the matrix of domination is important and biases must be accounted for, but aren’t inherently inhibitive to an effective design process.
Reading over our responses, it was interesting to see where our views aligned and differed, especially concerning inclusivity in design. I believe our responses differ when it comes to our personal definitions of a designer’s responsibilities towards the user and/or society.
