"For Us By Us": Intentionally Designing Technology for Lived Black Experiences

TL;DR

This paper explores how Black technologists design technology to support lived Black experiences, emphasizing design as a form of survival, connection, cultural expression, and joy, highlighting the importance of centering marginalized voices.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights from interviews with Black technologists, introducing a multifaceted approach to design rooted in lived experiences and survival.

Findings

Design as a means of survival and connection

Cultural significance and celebratory joy in design

Need for centering lived Black experiences in technology design

Abstract

HCI research to date has only scratched the surface of the unique approaches racially minoritized communities take to building, designing, and using technology systems. While there has been an increase in understanding how people across racial groups create community across different platforms, there is still a lack of studies that explicitly center on how Black technologists design with and for their own communities. In this paper, we present findings from a series of semi-structured interviews with Black technologists who have used, created, or curated resources to support lived Black experiences. From their experiences, we find a multifaceted approach to design as a means of survival, to stay connected, for cultural significance, and to bask in celebratory joy. Further, we provide considerations that emphasize the need for centering lived Black experiences in design and share approaches that can empower the broader research community to conduct further inquiries into design focused on those in the margins.