Short answer
Adopt an intersectional approach to design, recognizing how multiple social identities and power structures influence user needs and experiences, and consider how creative expression can be a tool for social critique and change.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Academic Publication (2023)
- Method
- Art as enquiry, qualitative analysis, theoretical framework development.
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Musical creation and performance can serve as a powerful framework for developing intersectional feminist praxis, influencing design approaches by highlighting issues of positionality, cultural heritage, and the disruption of dominant narratives. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Academic Publication. Using Art as enquiry, qualitative analysis, theoretical framework development., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Adopt an intersectional approach to design, recognizing how multiple social identities and power structures influence user needs and experiences, and consider how creative expression can be a tool for social critique and change.
Music as a Catalyst for Intersectional Feminist Praxis in Design
Musical creation and performance can serve as a powerful framework for developing intersectional feminist praxis, influencing design approaches by highlighting issues of positionality, cultural heritage, and the disruption of dominant narratives.
Academic Publication · 2023
Key Findings
- 01Music can function as critical social theory by embodying intersectional feminist principles.
- 02Understanding musical whakapapa (genealogy) is crucial for disrupting racial erasure and white supremacy in popular music.
- 03An intersectional feminist musical praxis can be rooted in specific cultural contexts and informed by feminist and queer theories of affect.
Application
Design takeaway
Adopt an intersectional approach to design, recognizing how multiple social identities and power structures influence user needs and experiences, and consider how creative expression can be a tool for social critique and change.
How to apply
When designing for diverse user groups, consider how their cultural backgrounds, social identities, and historical contexts intersect to shape their needs and perceptions. Explore how creative methodologies can be used to uncover these complex layers of experience.
Project actions
- 01Consider how different cultural or social groups express their identities and values through creative mediums.
- 02Explore how art forms can be used to critique existing systems or propose new ways of thinking.
- 03When researching users, look beyond demographics to understand their lived experiences and intersecting identities.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Interdisciplinary approach, combining musicology, sociology, and feminist theory.
- +Focus on a specific, under-researched cultural context.
- +Development of a practical framework for praxis.
Limitations
The findings are based on a specific cultural context and artistic genre, so direct application to all design projects may require adaptation.
Reliability & validity
The validity of the findings relies on the depth of the qualitative analysis and the theoretical grounding of the framework. Reliability would be enhanced by further research with a broader range of musicians and contexts.
Think critically
How might the principles of 'musical whakapapa' be translated into a design process to ensure the authenticity and cultural relevance of a product?
Design Principles
"Design with an awareness of intersectionality, acknowledging and valuing diverse cultural heritages and power dynamics in user experiences."
Understanding how marginalized voices utilize creative mediums like music to challenge systemic inequalities offers valuable insights for designers. It encourages a more nuanced approach to user research and product development, ensuring that designs are inclusive and address the complex intersectionality of user experiences.
What This Means for Your Design
Music can teach designers how to think about people in more complex ways, considering all parts of their identity and background, to create better and fairer designs.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing how user research can go beyond surface-level data to understand complex social and cultural influences on design.
- 2.Use the concept of intersectionality to analyze how different user groups might experience a product or service differently.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights how creative practices, such as music creation, can serve as critical social theory, offering valuable frameworks for understanding intersectionality and developing inclusive design approaches. By analyzing how artists articulate complex social identities and challenge dominant narratives, designers can gain deeper insights into user experiences, moving beyond superficial demographics to address the multifaceted nature of human needs and cultural contexts.
Source
Academic Publication
Music as Critical Social Theory: Developing Intersectional Feminist Praxis Through Music in Aotearoa (New Zealand)
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about music as a catalyst for intersectional feminist praxis in design?
- Adopt an intersectional approach to design, recognizing how multiple social identities and power structures influence user needs and experiences, and consider how creative expression can be a tool for social critique and change. Evidence: Academic Publication (2023).
- Why does "Music as a Catalyst for Intersectional Feminist Praxis in Design" matter for design?
- Understanding how marginalized voices utilize creative mediums like music to challenge systemic inequalities offers valuable insights for designers. It encourages a more nuanced approach to user research and product development, ensuring that designs are inclusive and address the complex intersectionality of user experiences.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Adopt an intersectional approach to design, recognizing how multiple social identities and power structures influence user needs and experiences, and consider how creative expression can be a tool for social critique and change.
- What were the main findings?
- Music can function as critical social theory by embodying intersectional feminist principles.. Understanding musical whakapapa (genealogy) is crucial for disrupting racial erasure and white supremacy in popular music.. An intersectional feminist musical praxis can be rooted in specific cultural contexts and informed by feminist and queer theories of affect.
- What research method was used?
- Art as enquiry, qualitative analysis, theoretical framework development..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Academic Publication.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing for diverse user groups, consider how their cultural backgrounds, social identities, and historical contexts intersect to shape their needs and perceptions. Explore how creative methodologies can be used to uncover these complex layers of experience.
- What are the limitations?
- The study is specific to the Aotearoa (New Zealand) context and the chosen musicians, potentially limiting the generalizability of the framework to other cultural settings or artistic disciplines.