Short answer

Incorporate intersectional analysis into user research to uncover and address the unique needs and experiences of users with multiple marginalized identities, ensuring digital platforms are designed for inclusivity.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Feminist Encounters A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics (2026)
Method: Qualitative research, Case study, Autoethnography, Feminist research methods
Evidence: Moderate effect

Applying an intersectional lens in user research can reveal nuanced experiences of marginalized groups on digital platforms, leading to more inclusive and representative design. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2026 study published in Feminist Encounters A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics. Using Qualitative research, case study, autoethnography, feminist research methods, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Incorporate intersectional analysis into user research to uncover and address the unique needs and experiences of users with multiple marginalized identities, ensuring digital platforms are designed for inclusivity.

Study

User-Centred DesignNew This WeekModerate effect

Intersectionality as a Method for Inclusive Digital Platform Design

Applying an intersectional lens in user research can reveal nuanced experiences of marginalized groups on digital platforms, leading to more inclusive and representative design.

Feminist Encounters A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics · 2026

Key Findings

01Existing scholarship on digital platforms often centers dominant narratives and overlooks the unique experiences of individuals with intersecting marginalized identities.
02An intersectional methodological approach can highlight specificities in racial identity, religious denomination, and user experience on platforms like Instagram.
03Centering subjective experience in research, while challenging, is crucial for giving voice to marginalized groups and mitigating bias.
04Feminist approaches are valuable in highlighting the unique experiences of ethnic minority women on digital platforms.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When conducting user research for a digital product, actively seek out and recruit participants who represent a diversity of intersecting identities. Use interview and survey questions that probe beyond single identity markers to understand how different aspects of their identity influence their platform use and needs.

Project actions

01When defining your user groups, consider how different aspects of identity might intersect and create unique needs or challenges.
02In your user research, ask open-ended questions that allow participants to express the complexity of their experiences.
03When analyzing your findings, look for patterns that emerge from the intersection of different identity factors, rather than just analyzing each factor in isolation.

Method & Evidence

AimHow can an intersectional methodological approach enhance the understanding of marginalized users' experiences on digital platforms to inform more inclusive design strategies?

MethodQualitative research, Case study, Autoethnography, Feminist research methods

ProcedureThe research involved a detailed account of a larger project on Instagram, beauty, and religious identity. It explored the use of intersectionality-as-method to address limitations in previous research and resist colonial framings of identity, focusing on the opportunities and challenges of centering subjective experience while mitigating bias.

ContextDigital platforms, social media (Instagram), identity expression, marginalized communities, beauty standards, religious identity

Variables

IVMethodological approach (intersectional vs. non-intersectional)

DVDepth and nuance of understanding of marginalized users' experiences

CVSpecific digital platform (e.g., Instagram), type of identity being explored (e.g., religious minority women)

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Emphasizes the value of subjective experience in research.
+Provides a detailed account of the research process, offering practical insights into applying intersectionality as a method.

Limitations

It can be challenging to recruit a sufficient number of participants with specific intersecting identities for robust quantitative analysis. Qualitative findings may be context-specific and require careful interpretation when generalizing.

Reliability & validity

The validity of findings relies heavily on the researcher's ability to empathetically and critically engage with subjective experiences. Reliability can be enhanced through detailed methodological descriptions and triangulation of data sources (e.g., interviews, observations, platform analytics).

Think critically

How might a platform's design inadvertently reinforce dominant cultural norms, and what specific design interventions could actively challenge these norms to better serve users with intersecting marginalized identities?

Design Principles

"Design for intersectionality: Acknowledge and design for the complex interplay of multiple identity factors that shape user experiences."

Digital platforms often inadvertently perpetuate societal biases, alienating users with intersecting marginalized identities. By actively employing intersectionality as a research method, designers can uncover these blind spots and create more equitable user experiences that acknowledge the complexity of individual identities.

What This Means for Your Design

When you research users for a design project, remember that people have many parts to their identity (like race, gender, religion, etc.) that all work together. Don't just ask about one thing; try to understand how all these parts affect how they use a product or website, so you can design something that works better for everyone.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this research when discussing your user research methodology, particularly if you are exploring the experiences of diverse or marginalized user groups.
2.Use the concept of intersectionality to justify your approach to user segmentation and persona development, highlighting the need to go beyond single-axis categorizations.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This design project acknowledges the importance of intersectionality in understanding user experiences. Drawing on research such as de Oliveira Abreu (2026), which highlights how multiple identity factors (e.g., race, religion, gender) interact to shape individuals' engagement with digital platforms, our user research methodology was designed to capture these nuanced perspectives. By moving beyond single-axis demographic analysis, we aimed to uncover the specific needs and challenges faced by users with intersecting marginalized identities, ensuring that our design solutions are truly inclusive and representative.

Source

Feminist Encounters A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics

The complexity of giving voice: Intersectionality as method in the study of instagram and marginalised identities

journal · 2026

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about intersectionality as a method for inclusive digital platform design?: Incorporate intersectional analysis into user research to uncover and address the unique needs and experiences of users with multiple marginalized identities, ensuring digital platforms are designed for inclusivity. Evidence: Feminist Encounters A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics (2026).
Why does "Intersectionality as a Method for Inclusive Digital Platform Design" matter for design?: Digital platforms often inadvertently perpetuate societal biases, alienating users with intersecting marginalized identities. By actively employing intersectionality as a research method, designers can uncover these blind spots and create more equitable user experiences that acknowledge the complexity of individual identities.
How can designers apply this research?: Incorporate intersectional analysis into user research to uncover and address the unique needs and experiences of users with multiple marginalized identities, ensuring digital platforms are designed for inclusivity.
What were the main findings?: Existing scholarship on digital platforms often centers dominant narratives and overlooks the unique experiences of individuals with intersecting marginalized identities.. An intersectional methodological approach can highlight specificities in racial identity, religious denomination, and user experience on platforms like Instagram.. Centering subjective experience in research, while challenging, is crucial for giving voice to marginalized groups and mitigating bias.. Feminist approaches are valuable in highlighting the unique experiences of ethnic minority women on digital platforms.
What research method was used?: Qualitative research, Case study, Autoethnography, Feminist research methods.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2026 journal from Feminist Encounters A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When conducting user research for a digital product, actively seek out and recruit participants who represent a diversity of intersecting identities. Use interview and survey questions that probe beyond single identity markers to understand how different aspects of their identity influence their platform use and needs.
What are the limitations?: The research acknowledges the challenges of mitigating bias and maintaining criticality when centering subjective experience. The specific context of Instagram and religious identity may not be directly generalizable to all platforms or user groups without adaptation.