Short answer
Actively recruit and integrate diverse perspectives into design teams and user research to prevent the exclusion of marginalized user groups.
- Field
- Human Factors
- Source
- 'Elsevier BV' (2017)
- Method
- Literature Review and Theoretical Analysis
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Engineering teams lacking diversity, particularly in gender and disability, risk marginalizing user groups through 'othering' and failing to meet the needs of the entire population. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in 'Elsevier BV'. Using Literature review and theoretical analysis, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Actively recruit and integrate diverse perspectives into design teams and user research to prevent the exclusion of marginalized user groups.
Inclusive Design Requires Diverse Engineering Teams to Mitigate 'Othering'
Engineering teams lacking diversity, particularly in gender and disability, risk marginalizing user groups through 'othering' and failing to meet the needs of the entire population.
'Elsevier BV' · 2017
Key Findings
- 01Diversity in engineering is essential for capturing the creativity and needs of the entire population.
- 02Women and disabled individuals are significantly underrepresented in engineering, leading to their marginalization.
- 03The concept of 'othering' and binary divides in engineering facilitates exclusion.
- 04Involving end-users, especially disabled users, in design and development is critical for inclusive outcomes.
Application
Design takeaway
Actively recruit and integrate diverse perspectives into design teams and user research to prevent the exclusion of marginalized user groups.
How to apply
When forming design teams or conducting user research for a project, consider the diversity of the team and the participants to ensure all potential user needs are identified and addressed.
Project actions
- 01When defining your target user, consider if you are inadvertently excluding certain groups.
- 02If possible, involve users from diverse backgrounds in your user research.
- 03Reflect on the diversity of your own project team and how it might influence your design decisions.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Addresses a critical ethical and practical issue in design.
- +Provides a theoretical framework for understanding exclusion in design.
Limitations
It can be challenging to recruit a truly diverse user sample for testing within the constraints of a school project.
Reliability & validity
The paper's findings are based on theoretical analysis and literature review, making direct empirical reliability and validity testing difficult without further experimental data. Its validity lies in its logical coherence and alignment with established social science concepts.
Think critically
How might the 'othering' of specific user groups by a design team lead to unintended negative consequences or even harm?
Design Principles
"Design for all by designing with all."
This insight is crucial for design students as it highlights how the composition of design teams directly impacts the inclusivity and effectiveness of their solutions. Understanding 'othering' helps designers recognize potential biases and actively work towards creating products that serve a wider range of users.
What This Means for Your Design
If your design team doesn't have people who are different from each other (like different genders, abilities, or backgrounds), you might accidentally make something that doesn't work well for everyone.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this insight in your evaluation section to discuss how a lack of diversity in your team or user group might have limited your design.
- 2.In your design process, justify decisions made to include diverse user needs based on this principle.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The engineering and design professions must embrace diversity to ensure that the needs and creativity of the entire population are considered. This paper highlights the phenomenon of 'othering,' where a lack of representation for groups such as women and disabled individuals can lead to their marginalization and exclusion from design processes and outcomes. Consequently, designs may fail to adequately serve these user groups. To mitigate this, it is imperative to involve a diverse range of end-users, particularly those from underrepresented communities, throughout the design and development stages.
Source
Questions About This Research
- What does the research say about inclusive design requires diverse engineering teams to mitigate 'othering'?
- Actively recruit and integrate diverse perspectives into design teams and user research to prevent the exclusion of marginalized user groups. Evidence: 'Elsevier BV' (2017).
- Why does "Inclusive Design Requires Diverse Engineering Teams to Mitigate 'Othering'" matter for design?
- This insight is crucial for IB DT students as it highlights how the composition of design teams directly impacts the inclusivity and effectiveness of their solutions. Understanding 'othering' helps designers recognize potential biases and actively work towards creating products that serve a wider range of users.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Actively recruit and integrate diverse perspectives into design teams and user research to prevent the exclusion of marginalized user groups.
- What were the main findings?
- Diversity in engineering is essential for capturing the creativity and needs of the entire population.. Women and disabled individuals are significantly underrepresented in engineering, leading to their marginalization.. The concept of 'othering' and binary divides in engineering facilitates exclusion.. Involving end-users, especially disabled users, in design and development is critical for inclusive outcomes.
- What research method was used?
- Literature Review and Theoretical Analysis.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2017 journal from 'Elsevier BV'.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When forming design teams or conducting user research for a project, consider the diversity of the team and the participants to ensure all potential user needs are identified and addressed.
- What are the limitations?
- The paper is largely theoretical and does not present empirical data from specific design projects or user studies. It focuses on the experiences of women and disabled engineers rather than a broad spectrum of diversity.