Design Practices
Sasha Costanza‐Chock
Abstract
Abstract This essay explores the paradox of ‘user-centred design’, a dominant design practice that prioritises ‘real-world’ users but excludes those who currently have no access to the technology in question. Which potential user groups are catered for and which are not is a political choice that often goes unnoticed in tech development. They ask that more attention is paid to the demographic from which the ‘unmarked’ generic user persona derives, and how it matches up with the average tech worker: white, cis-male, person with internet access, and digitally literate. As a remedy, they point to participatory practices and asks that keener attention is paid to how ‘users’ themselves innovate products. Costanza-Chock’s rallying call for ‘design justice’ paved the way in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector for work that did not merely attempt to neutralise harmful systems but called for their active re-orientation towards redress. This remains a go-to text for practitioners and academics alike when drawing up ethical design processes.