CriticalTransfeministDesign

Class 1: Comprehending the philosophical side

I found it fascinating to explore how philosophy and feminism influence design. Learning about phenomenology's focus on the body's corporeal and symbolic dimensions helped me understand the importance of considering human experience in design. Judith Butler's ideas on performativity and the divergence of language and body were particularly thought-provoking, highlighting the potential for creating new meanings and identities. The discussion on subalternity was especially impactful, emphasizing the need to acknowledge and incorporate the perspectives of marginalized groups in our designs. This class underscored the importance of understanding historical and theoretical contexts to create more inclusive and equitable designs.

Class 2: Exploring different realms

While the first class focused more on the theory and concepts of critical transfeminist design, this class was more focused on exploring different methods of biological interaction and what comes to play with this. I still am not 100% sure how this relates to the topics we discussed during the first class. I did like exploring the different fields and the idea of creating your own one cell organism was a fun exercise to partake in cause it cause me to think about what I would want to bring to the world.

Growing Bacteria

Collecting samples to view under the microscope

Creating my own creature

Reflecting on Critical Transfeminist Design

I found the first class on critical transfeminist design theory really intriguing and eye-opening. We dove into concepts like phenomenology, performativity, and subalternity, which helped me see how deeply connected philosophy, feminism, and design are. It was fascinating to think about how people experience and express their bodies and identities in diverse ways. These discussions really hammered home the need for inclusivity and equity in our design practices, and how understanding history and critical theory can shape how we design today.

The second class, which was about methods of biological interaction, felt a bit out of place compared to the first one. Although creating our own one-cell organism was a fun and thought-provoking exercise, it seemed a bit repetitive since we've done similar activities before. While I enjoyed exploring different fields, I struggled to see how it all connected back to the critical transfeminist design concepts we discussed earlier. It made me question how this class fits into the broader curriculum and its relevance to the majority of our thesis projects. I think this course might be better off in term 1 or beginning term 2 when we are still exploring different areas.

Even with these concerns, the course reminded me of the importance of keeping a broad perspective in design. We need to incorporate diverse perspectives and avoid exclusionary practices. However, it also highlighted a crucial point: as designers, we need to make deliberate choices. Designing for everyone can lead to solutions that fail to serve anyone effectively. Instead, I believe we should focus on creating designs tailored for marginalized or excluded groups, ensuring that our work addresses their specific needs and challenges. This approach can lead to more meaningful and impactful design solutions.