Open Lab Night | Beyond Pink - Gender, Identity & Smartphones
Project information
submitted by
David Le
Co-Authors
Simisola Aremo, Sara Elhassan Sophia Lick, Sophie Zaton
Mentors
Britta Schulte, Eva Hornecker
Faculty:
Media
Degree programme:
Human-Computer Interaction (Master of Science (M.Sc.))
Type of project presentation
Research project
Semester
Summer semester 2022
- Schwanseestraße 143 - S143
(1st floor, room 2.40) - Schwanseestraße 143 - S143
(1st floor, room 2.40)
Project description
Think about the relationship you have with your smartphone. Do the apps and built-in functions you use, or your personalization of it for example have any relationship with your gender identity? Do you use your phone a certain way because of your identities? Do your identities influence what you use your phone for and how? These are just some of the questions we address and try to answer in this project.
The practice of designing digital technologies, like many other industries, has been long dominated by white cis men in the western world. Voice assistants, predictive texting, and app design are a few examples of smartphone features that have been heavily influenced by male bias. In this project, our team of HCI and CSDM students discussed Feminist, Queer, and Intersectional HCI theories as well as design methods that can be useful in our attempt to understand the intertwining connections the smartphone has with gender and various other identities.
Using what we’ve learned, each of us conducted a research study to get closer to this understanding, because doing so in the field of HCI can encourage the equitable design of technology. The topics of our research spans the topics of menstruation, financial literacy apps, dating apps, and voice assistants. Does this sound interesting? You can learn more by coming to our stand at the Summaery.