Dark Patterns, Ethics, & Social Responsibility
A deep appreciation for design theory and philosophy drives our research into what makes designers “tick.” We ask deep questions about how designers think and act, taking on a critical theory lens to explore dimensions of social and ethical responsibility in design practice. A portion of our work is focused on the nature and presence of “dark patterns,” including the creation of an ontology and methodologies to aid in characterizing these patterns and supporting legal and regulatory action. Ultimately, our goal is to better understand the complexity of design activity and build resources that lead to more ethically- and socially-responsible design and technology practice. [READ MORE]
The Nature of Design Practice
Using a practice-led research approach, we seek to understand how UX practitioners remain competent over time, document the sources of knowledge and design methods they rely upon to do their work, and identify mechanisms that encourage the development of community. We haved done in situ observational work to understand physical dimensions of practice and also continue to document designer interactions in meso-scale on social media. [READ MORE]
HCI, Design, & Studio Pedagogy
Building upon insights from UX practice and design education, we identify what educators can do to foster world-class HCI and UX educational experiences. We study design pedagogy and the development of design expertise in a broad sense, as well as understanding how UX designers form and sustain their identity over time. [READ MORE]