In this paper, I present a framework for a feminist design research and practice. It aims to
guide design decisions from information, ideation to evaluation from a feminist point of
view. It tries to facilitate the selection of appropriate approaches and methods in each
phase with regard to feminist demands and requirements to support a feminist design on a
methodological, practical and evaluative level.
The framework integrates different gender theories whose perspectives correspond to main
phases and focuses that can be regarded as mandatory for human centered design. The
framework integrates the feminist standpoint theory, the theory of gender performativity
and the concept of ‘doing gender’ expanded by the actor network theory.
The feminist standpoint theory guides the designers’ attention to marginalized target
groups and experiences within the phase of information and ideation. Feminist
poststructuralist theories like the theory of performativity focus on the cultural construction
of gender in media and artifacts. Consequently, they have a natural link to the design
domain and can guide designers’ decisions during the phase of inspiration and ideation.
Design in this phase is challenged to invent new forms of gender representations and
experiences to contribute to a socially fair and plural society. If a design concept or artifact
meets feminist demands and requirements just becomes visible in interaction and use. The
concept of ‘doing gender’ in combination with actor network theory focus on sociomaterial
interactions and promise to provide benchmarks for a feministdesign evaluation.
The application and empirical benefit of the framework is illustrated by a brief case study.
The example shows how feminist perspectives can enhance the selection of methods, the
critical reflection of designers’ gender assumptions and the evaluation of design results
with regards to their failure or success in terms of changing gender roles and behavior to
meet social equality.
