How she reveals hidden norms
Theme: Tech for whom?
The design of technical gadgets influences more than we think – from our behaviour to who is welcomed or excluded. Researcher and industrial designer Karin Ehrnberger shows how design can reveal norms and pave the way for more inclusive technology.
“Design is not just about aesthetics or solutions to practical problems. It is a powerful tool for shaping what people think, feel and do,” says Karin Ehrnberger, researcher at the Division of Strategic Sustainability Studies.
Through a norm-critical approach, she wants us to see the values hidden in the technology around us. One way to reveal what we otherwise don't see is to play with the form language – just as she did in her acclaimed thesis.
She simply changed the appearance of the products: an angular, “masculine” drill took on the shape of a soft, bulky hand blender – and vice versa – to show how technology often takes on a “masculine” or “feminine” appearance.
The Andro Chair is another of her much-discussed design prototypes, in which a man lies on his stomach with his bottom in the air – a chair created to spark conversation about the vulnerability women often experience during gynaecological examinations.
Smart technology in everyday life
In an ongoing interdisciplinary project, Karin Ehrnberger is one of the researchers examining the development of the smart electric home. The research – in collaboration with energy companies Ellevio and Ngenic – investigates how people are affected and which groups benefit from connected technology that remotely controls and automates things such as lighting, heating, security systems and household appliances.
It is based on field studies in Swedish homes, where researchers want to see how smart technology shapes everyday life – especially how chores and decisions in the home are distributed. Preliminary results indicate, for example, that old gender roles are re-emerging.
“We want to highlight the lifestyles and people for whom the technology is primarily designed and those who risk being left out. It can also open up other future scenarios where smart technology can create opportunities for other, different ways of living,” says Ehrnberger.
In addition to scientific publications, Ehrnberger and her colleagues work extensively to disseminate their research through exhibitions, events and corporate contacts. She has appeared on television and featured frequently in the media.
“It's a very important part of our work; it's about raising awareness and getting people talking about it. We try to spread the word on social media, organise seminars and we get invited to lots of events too.”
Other narrow ideas
Technical products not only signal differences between what is perceived as masculine and feminine, but also other narrow ideas about who the user is expected to be, says Ehrnberger.
“Design is often based on a ‘normal person’, someone who is middle class, healthy, young and has resources. This means that technology not only recreates gender norms, but also reinforces other inequalities such as class and functionality.”
The result is technology that works smoothly for some – and less well or not at all for others. This can range from facial recognition that has difficulty identifying darker skin tones to work tools that are not adapted for smaller hands and different strengths.
Exhibition in Vienna
“By questioning the norms we routinely reuse, design can become both smarter and fairer,” says Ehrnberger.
How should entrepreneurs or innovators think if they want to become better at challenging norms?
“Take a course in gender studies and intersectionality and critically examine your organisation. The first step is to understand how norms work.”
This spring, Ehrnberger was informed that design prototypes from her thesis – the drill and the hand blender – will be part of the permanent exhibition at the Vienna Museum of Technology.
“It feels great and considering the conservative winds that are blowing right now, I think it's brave of them. It is one of the world's largest technical museums, which has long recognised that technology has very masculine connotations.”
Text: Christer Gummeson ( gummeson@kth.se )