Critical Engineering Design Pt 2

Summary

In this video, David Tomlin and Nicole Mogul explore the impact of engineering design on social hierarchies, drawing inspiration from Ruha Benjamin's 'Race After Technology.' They discuss how 'hostile design' excludes certain groups, such as homeless individuals, and contrast it with inclusive design exemplified by affordable housing in the Netherlands. The speakers also address the exclusionary nature of traditional gender-segregated bathrooms and the potential for redesigning spaces to be more inclusive. They advocate for democratic participation in design processes to empower people and challenge societal norms.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses critical engineering design with a focus on inclusive and exclusive design examples.
• 💡 The inspiration comes from Ruha Benjamin's book 'Race After Technology', which addresses the issue of default discrimination in algorithms and computing.
• 🔨 The concept of 'hostile design' is introduced, exemplified by benches designed to exclude homeless people from resting.
• 🏠 An example of subverting social hierarchy through design is shown with inclusive housing in the Netherlands for young people and refugees.
• 🚻 The video points out how certain bathroom designs exclude intravenous drug users, questioning the societal approach to drug culture and addiction.
• 🚗 It criticizes 'exclusive design' in roads that prioritize car traffic, often excluding those who cannot afford cars or meet legal requirements to drive.
• 🛣️ The 'road diet' concept is presented as a way to make roads inclusive by reducing space for cars and increasing it for pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transport.
• 🚻 The traditional gender-segregated restrooms are highlighted as an example of design that excludes non-binary and transgender individuals.
• 🛠️ The video uses the example of gendered tools to illustrate how design can reinforce societal norms and how rethinking these can challenge stereotypes.
• 🏫 It encourages students to observe campus designs through an ethnographic lens to identify inclusivity and exclusivity in their context.
• 🌐 The importance of democratic involvement in design discussions is emphasized, as seen in the implementation of non-binary bathrooms on campus.

Q & A

Who are the presenters of the video?

David Tomlin and Nicole Mogul are the presenters of the video.

What is the main topic discussed in the video?

The main topic discussed is critical and inclusive engineering design, with examples of inclusive and exclusive designs.

What book by Ruha Benjamin is mentioned in the video?

The book mentioned is 'Race After Technology' by Ruha Benjamin.

What concept does Ruha Benjamin introduce regarding design?

Ruha Benjamin introduces the concept that the way we engineer the material world reflects and reinforces social hierarchies, but can also be used to subvert them.

What is an example of a design that excludes certain groups of people?

An example of an exclusive design is hostile design, such as benches that prevent people from lying down or skateboarding, which is intended to keep out homeless people.

What is the alternative to hostile design that promotes inclusivity?

An example of an inclusive design is affordable housing projects, like those in the Netherlands focused on providing housing for young people and refugees.

How do exclusive designs in public bathrooms exclude certain groups?

Exclusive designs in public bathrooms may exclude intravenous drug users by creating environments that discourage drug use instead of providing safe spaces for them.

What is a 'road diet' and how does it promote inclusive design?

A 'road diet' reduces the amount of road space dedicated to cars and increases space for bicyclists, pedestrians, and buses, which can make people feel safer and increase vehicle throughput.

How does traditional gendered bathroom design reflect societal values?

Traditional gendered bathroom design reflects societal values by separating people based on gender, which can exclude non-binary and transgender individuals.

What example is given to illustrate gendered design in household products?

An example of gendered design in household products is a drill designed for men and a blender designed for women, which a Swedish designer reimagined to challenge these gender norms.

How can design be used to empower people and create inclusivity?

Design can be used to empower people and create inclusivity by engaging more people in the discussion and creating designs that accommodate diverse needs and perspectives, such as non-binary bathrooms.

What activity is suggested for students to explore campus design inclusivity?

Students are suggested to perform an ethnographic observation on campus, spending 30 minutes observing campus design in its context and relating their observations to the video's concepts.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Understanding Inclusive and Exclusive Design

The video features David Tomlin and Nicole Mogul discussing critical engineering design, focusing on inclusive and exclusive design. They reference Ruha Benjamin's work on how technology can reinforce or subvert social hierarchies. Examples include hostile designs like benches that prevent lying down to exclude homeless people and inclusive designs like affordable housing in the Netherlands for young people and refugees. The discussion also touches on the exclusion of drug users through bathroom designs and the potential for inclusive solutions like safe injection spots.

05:03

🚻 Rethinking Bathroom Designs for Inclusivity

The conversation shifts to the societal norms reflected in bathroom designs, typically segregating by gender. This design choice excludes non-binary and transgender individuals. The speakers suggest that inclusive designs, like single-stall restrooms, can accommodate everyone without reinforcing gender divisions. They emphasize that design is not inevitable but a choice influenced by societal values.

🚗 Inclusive Road Design and Gendered Tools

Further examples of exclusive and inclusive design are provided, such as roads prioritizing cars over pedestrians and cyclists, excluding those without access to cars. Inclusive road designs, like 'road diets,' reduce car space to increase safety and accessibility for all. The discussion also includes gendered tools, with a Swedish designer reimagining drills and blenders to challenge gender norms, illustrating how design can reflect and challenge societal values.

🔄 Empowering Inclusive Design and Campus Observation

The speakers conclude by emphasizing the potential of design to empower people and be inclusive. They highlight that campus now has non-binary bathrooms due to discussions among students, faculty, and staff. They encourage viewers to observe and rethink campus designs through ethnographic observation, linking their observations to the video content for further discussion in class.

Keywords

💡Inclusive Design

Inclusive design refers to the practice of designing products, services, and environments that are accessible to as many people as possible, including those with disabilities or different cultural backgrounds. In the video, this concept is related to creating spaces and products that do not exclude certain groups of people, such as designing restrooms that accommodate non-binary or transgender individuals, or redesigning public spaces to be more welcoming to all.

💡Exclusive Design

Exclusive design, as discussed in the video, is the opposite of inclusive design. It refers to the intentional or unintentional creation of spaces or products that exclude certain groups of people. An example from the script is 'hostile design' benches that prevent people from lying down or skateboarding, which are designed to exclude homeless individuals.

💡Default Discrimination

Default discrimination is the inherent bias built into algorithms and computing systems that can lead to unfair treatment of certain groups. The video mentions this in the context of how algorithms can reinforce existing social hierarchies and discriminate against individuals based on factors such as race or socioeconomic status.

💡Social Hierarchies

Social hierarchies refer to the ranking of individuals or groups within a society based on factors such as wealth, race, or social status. The video discusses how design can both reflect and reinforce these hierarchies, but also has the potential to subvert them, such as through inclusive design practices.

💡Hostile Design

Hostile design is a specific type of exclusive design that intentionally makes a space uncomfortable or unusable for certain individuals, often to discourage their presence. The video provides the example of a bench designed to prevent people from lying down, which is used to exclude homeless people.

💡Affordable Housing

Affordable housing refers to residential units that are priced at a level that makes them accessible to individuals with low to moderate incomes. In the video, the Netherlands is highlighted for building affordable housing aimed at young people and refugees, which is an example of inclusive design in the context of urban planning.

💡Rode Diet

A 'Rode Diet' is a concept in urban planning that involves reducing the amount of road space dedicated to cars and reallocating it to pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transport. The video mentions this as an example of inclusive design that not only makes streets safer but also paradoxically increases vehicle throughput.

💡Gendered Products

Gendered products are items that are designed or marketed in a way that associates them with a specific gender, often reinforcing traditional gender roles. The video provides the example of tools like drills and blenders, which are stereotypically associated with masculinity and femininity, respectively.

💡Ethnographic Observation

Ethnographic observation is a research method used to study and understand a culture or group by observing it in its natural setting. In the video, students are encouraged to use this method to observe campus design and its impact on inclusivity, relating their findings to the concepts discussed in the video.

💡Non-Binary Bathrooms

Non-binary bathrooms are restrooms designed to be accessible to individuals who do not identify as exclusively male or female. The video mentions these as an example of inclusive design in response to societal discussions about gender identity and the need for spaces that accommodate diverse gender expressions.

💡Subverting Social Norms

Subverting social norms refers to the act of challenging or overturning established societal expectations or behaviors. The video discusses how design can be used to subvert social hierarchies and norms, such as by creating gender-neutral spaces or redesigning products to avoid reinforcing gender stereotypes.

Highlights

Introduction to critical and inclusive design concepts inspired by Ruha Benjamin's book 'Race After Technology'.

Default discrimination built into algorithms and computing that discriminates.

Quote: 'The way we engineer the material world reflects and reinforces but could also be used to subvert social hierarchies.'

Example of hostile design: benches that prevent lying down to exclude homeless people.

Inclusive design example in the Netherlands: affordable housing for young people and refugees.

Discussion on bathrooms designed to exclude intravenous drug users and how to redesign for inclusivity.

Road design maximizing car throughput excludes minorities and the unlicensed. Solution: road diet for inclusivity.

Traditional gender-segregated bathrooms exclude non-binary and transgender individuals. Inclusive design proposed.

Speed bumps as intentional design to slow down cars.

Gendered design in products: drill for men and blender for women, and how redesign can challenge these norms.

Importance of critical play in design to view products with fresh eyes and question underlying values.

Inclusive design can empower and be democratic by including diverse perspectives.

Implementation of non-binary bathrooms on campus following a discussion in the university senate.

Call to action for students to perform ethnographic observation on campus design and relate findings to inclusive design concepts.

Encouragement to rethink and redesign campus spaces to be more inclusive.

Transcripts

I hit record

hey everybody we're back David Tomlin

Nicole Mogul talking about critical

engineering design and in this video

we're going to give some examples of

inclusive and exclusive design

all right we're inspired by ruha

Benjamin who's written this book race

after technology talk she's talked a lot

about the default discrimination that is

built into

algorithms uh Computing Computing that

discriminates and she has a great quote

that I've got on our next slide

the way we engineer the material world

reflects and reinforces but could also

be used to subvert social hierarchies so

this is a better way of phrasing even

that um the other from

the other video that we just showed you

about how people's values are reflected

in design and she's adding this idea

that we could use this design to subvert

social hierarchy

so let me give you an example of a

design that is designed to exclude to

reinforce the social hierarchy and then

I'll show you how we could subvert that

social hierarchy so this this sort of

design is actually called hostile design

and you see this bench what can't you do

on it you can't lie down you can't

skateboard on it either

and obviously this is designed to keep

out homeless people right or unhoused so

a way of reframing this subverting the

this design

strategy would be to actually design for

inclusivity and so this is a an example

in the Netherlands who have a lot have

built a lot of affordable housing this

one is specifically focused on bringing

housing to young people and refugees

so yeah what do you who do you think

this bathroom is designed to exclude

yeah

who do you think this bathroom is

designed to exclude

so did you think it was intravenous drug

users

um and that that is the the right answer

right and and so you know what does this

say about you know how we treat drug

culture right is this the right way to

deal with people that have drug habits

who are addicted to drugs right so how

could we redesign spaces to make them

more inclusive and help them you know

kick their habits or or do it in a

healthier way

so some places you know in one way of

doing this is to create safe spots in in

our Health Care Systems for injecting

and this could also provide

opportunities for people to get

counseling or to work towards you know

remedies like methadone to help them

um to help them you know get kick the

habit right as opposed to just kind of

kicking on the curb and not and not

having having you know out of sight out

of mind

what's up

here's one of both our favorites about

exclusive design roads that maximize or

value just the throughput of cars and so

normally this means

um in our society it's meant excluding

underrepresented minorities people who

are don't I can't afford car or car

insurance or even can get a driver's

license because they might not have the

legal papers to do so

yeah

and the other side the flip side of this

exclusive design is to make it inclusive

and this sort of design is actually

called a rode diet where

um it's kind of counter-intuitive but

you actually narrow the amount of Road

space that's dedicated to cars you

increase the number the number of the

allotted footage for bicyclists

pedestrians

um buses and it actually makes people

feel

safer and weirdly increases the vehicle

throughput

yeah and then we can think about our

bathrooms right something that we take

for granted along with you know how

gender has historically been structured

and so if we think of the way we stand

think about bathrooms historically we

have a bathroom for women and we have a

bathroom for for men right and this

excludes you know certain types of

genders right you know so so non-binary

or or even makes it makes it a struggle

for people for people that are

transgender yeah and also yeah it's also

just you could redesign for inclusivity

in this way and the the the fact that we

separated gender in restrooms is a value

it reflects a societal norm and value

right to say that somehow we all have

this function of toileting and washing

our hands but that we somehow need to be

separated by gender in order to do that

yeah so that we could all maybe think of

where those values come from

uh yeah so yeah just make make uh

separate stalls if we go to the same

bathroom and do the exact same thing but

they can just be in their separate

stools just like we do at home

foreign

again returning to this theme design is

not inevitable someone designed it in a

context for a reason and this

um this speed bump that we picked out to

show you is an example of a design

that's intentionally asking cars to slow

down right

okay here's my last example or our last

example here and this is kind of

thinking back to ruha Benjamin and

subverting the social hierarchy years to

pieces of equipment right

you want to react to this one

uh yeah well they're they seem to be

highly gendered

um one you know like the the drill over

here seems like it's well that's that's

for a male and then the kind of you know

all the edges kind of rough edges and

then on the on the other other side we

have the smooth light colored kind of

feminine blender right yeah and I really

like this example because it's kind of

something we take for granted right like

oh no the drill is the manly mountain

and the blender is this the the mom in

the it with an apron in the um kitchen

but this product designer from Sweden

she redesigned to these products and in

a way that makes us think right so she

redesigned the drill to kind of look

like the blender in terms of its design

vocabulary and she redesigned the

blender to be

um she called it what oh I mix master or

some mega mega blaster or something

um to look like a drill and this kind of

critical play is really appealing to us

from the STS world because it's getting

us to see design with fresh eyes and

we're not meaning to resolve anything

but rather we could open up this as a

question that we could talk about whose

values and interests are served by these

designs

uh yes like a hurricane mixer yeah so

yeah this gets us back to you know the

theme we're trying to pass on to you all

is that you know we want to be inclusive

right and and and this is possible right

you know designs can be changed to

empower people we can reframe things

that's the past previous example just

showed us right

and we could be Democratic about it

right there there's ways to you know

bring more people into the discussion

around this in fact we do have

non-binary bathrooms now on campus

because there was a discussion

um in the in the senate about whether or

not you know we should accommodate you

know uh different you know different

ways of seeing gender right so you know

this can happen right is it the students

on it or the fact well it's the Senate

is is faculty students and staffers

represent representatives from all parts

of Campus so

um so yeah so this this can happen right

we can redesign things or we can design

things Anew that are that are definitely

more inclusive

so we want you know

for what we want you to do we're going

to have you know in in class we're going

to have you kind of rethink about these

kinds of things around campus and so you

know how are we going to do this doctor

you're going to pick a place on campus

and you're going to do what's called an

ethnographic observation you're going to

spend a good 30 minutes just a viewing

um the campus design in its context and

maybe you'll relate some of what you see

to this video These two videos that

we've shown you and we will unpack your

observation in class together

yeah

so we look forward to seeing you

um have a great day great weekend bye

see you soon