Short answer

Designers should adopt a more ecological and multispecies perspective, recognizing that human well-being is intertwined with the health of their internal ecosystems.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Human-Computer Interaction (2023)
Method: Experimental workshop-based inquiry
Evidence: Moderate effect

Design research must move beyond human exceptionalism by considering humans as part of larger ecological systems, including their microbiome. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Human-Computer Interaction. Using Experimental workshop-based inquiry, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers should adopt a more ecological and multispecies perspective, recognizing that human well-being is intertwined with the health of their internal ecosystems.

Study

User-Centred DesignRecentModerate effect

Embracing Multispecies Assemblages: Designing for Human-Microbiome Interactions

Design research must move beyond human exceptionalism by considering humans as part of larger ecological systems, including their microbiome.

Human-Computer Interaction · 2023

Key Findings

01Workshops can be a suitable method for fostering multiple perspectives on human-microbiome relations.
02Conducting intimate, more-than-human design inquiries through workshops presents both possibilities and challenges.
03Human experience is often centered in HCI, necessitating a move towards decentering the human in design.

Application

Design takeaway

Designers should adopt a more ecological and multispecies perspective, recognizing that human well-being is intertwined with the health of their internal ecosystems.

How to apply

When designing health-related technologies or services, consider how they might impact or interact with the user's microbiome, and explore methods to gather insights from a multispecies perspective.

Project actions

01Consider the 'more-than-human' aspects of your design problem.
02Explore participatory methods that allow for diverse perspectives, even on sensitive topics.

Method & Evidence

AimHow can design research methods foster multiple perspectives on human-microbiome relationships, moving beyond a purely human-centric view?

MethodExperimental workshop-based inquiry

ProcedureConducted a series of workshops ('Shit! workshops') designed to explore the intimate relationship between individuals experiencing intestinal dysbiosis and their gut microbiome, facilitating collaborative exploration and social interaction.

ContextHealth and wellness, specifically focusing on intestinal dysbiosis and the gut microbiome.

Variables

IVWorkshop design and facilitation

DVMultiple perspectives on human-microbiome relations, participant engagement

CVParticipant health conditions (intestinal dysbiosis), workshop setting, facilitator approach

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Pioneering approach to a complex and under-researched area.
+Innovative use of workshop methodology for sensitive topics.

Limitations

It can be challenging to directly measure or observe the microbiome's influence. Ethical considerations are paramount when dealing with sensitive health data.

Reliability & validity

The qualitative nature of the study and the focus on subjective experiences may limit direct generalizability. Reliability could be enhanced through triangulation of data from multiple sources and methods.

Think critically

How can we ethically and effectively design for systems and entities (like microbiomes) that are not directly controllable or observable by the user?

Design Principles

"Design for interconnectedness: Acknowledge and design for the complex relationships between humans and their non-human environments, including biological systems."

This perspective shift is crucial for developing more holistic and effective solutions in areas like health, wellness, and even everyday product design. By acknowledging the complex interactions within multispecies assemblages, designers can create products and experiences that are more attuned to the interconnectedness of human and non-human elements.

What This Means for Your Design

To design better products, especially for health, think about how they affect not just people, but also the tiny organisms living inside them, like gut bacteria.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the importance of user research that goes beyond surface-level interactions and considers the broader ecological context of the user.

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Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the necessity of adopting a multispecies perspective in design, moving beyond human exceptionalism to understand users as part of complex ecological assemblages. By employing methods like participatory workshops, designers can gain deeper insights into intimate human-microbiome relationships, informing the development of more holistic and effective solutions, particularly in health-related contexts.

Source

Human-Computer Interaction

Shit! Towards an experimental multiple-perspective approach to human-microbiome relations

journal · 2023

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about embracing multispecies assemblages: designing for human-microbiome interactions?: Designers should adopt a more ecological and multispecies perspective, recognizing that human well-being is intertwined with the health of their internal ecosystems. Evidence: Human-Computer Interaction (2023).
Why does "Embracing Multispecies Assemblages: Designing for Human-Microbiome Interactions" matter for design?: This perspective shift is crucial for developing more holistic and effective solutions in areas like health, wellness, and even everyday product design. By acknowledging the complex interactions within multispecies assemblages, designers can create products and experiences that are more attuned to the interconnectedness of human and non-human elements.
How can designers apply this research?: Designers should adopt a more ecological and multispecies perspective, recognizing that human well-being is intertwined with the health of their internal ecosystems.
What were the main findings?: Workshops can be a suitable method for fostering multiple perspectives on human-microbiome relations.. Conducting intimate, more-than-human design inquiries through workshops presents both possibilities and challenges.. Human experience is often centered in HCI, necessitating a move towards decentering the human in design.
What research method was used?: Experimental workshop-based inquiry.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Human-Computer Interaction.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing health-related technologies or services, consider how they might impact or interact with the user's microbiome, and explore methods to gather insights from a multispecies perspective.
What are the limitations?: The intimate and sensitive nature of the topic may limit participant engagement or lead to social desirability bias. The generalizability of findings from specific workshop formats may be limited.