Design Justice: Towards an Intersectional Feminist Framework for Design Theory and Practice

Proceedings of the Design Research Society 2018

14 Pages Posted: 22 Jan 2020

See all articles by Sasha Costanza-Chock

Sasha Costanza-Chock

Harvard University - Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society; Algorithmic Justice League

Date Written: June 3, 2018

Abstract

Design is key to our collective liberation, but most design processes today reproduce inequalities structured by what Black feminist scholars call the matrix of domination. Intersecting inequalities are manifest at all levels of the design process. This paper builds upon the Design Justice Principles, developed by an emerging network of designers and community organizers, to propose a working definition of design justice: Design justice is a field of theory and practice that is concerned with how the design of objects and systems influences the distribution of risks, harms, and benefits among various groups of people. Design justice focuses on the ways that design reproduces, is reproduced by, and/or challenges the matrix of domination (white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, capitalism, and settler colonialism). Design justice is also a growing social movement that aims to ensure a more equitable distribution of design’s benefits and burdens; fair and meaningful participation in design decisions; and recognition of community based design traditions, knowledge, and practices.

Keywords: design, design justice, intersectionality, intersectional feminism, matrix of domination

Suggested Citation

Costanza-Chock, Sasha, Design Justice: Towards an Intersectional Feminist Framework for Design Theory and Practice (June 3, 2018). Proceedings of the Design Research Society 2018, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3189696

Sasha Costanza-Chock (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society ( email )

Harvard Law School
23 Everett, 2nd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Algorithmic Justice League ( email )

HOME PAGE: http://ajl.org

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