Diversity-sensitive human-centered technology design

Diversity-sensitive human-centered technology design supports the development of appropriate technologies in an iterative process with diverse stakeholders by using qualitative methods (e.g. focus groups, interviews and personas) to translate human needs, abilities and behaviour into gender- and diversity-sensitive technology design.

The diversity-sensitive human-centered design approach uses participatory methods, carried out as co-creation of knowledge and co-design of technology with the researchers, users and relevant stakeholders.

Anita Thaler explains in an interview of the Gendered Innovations video-series how a gender -and diversity-sensitive human centered design was applied in a medical-technology-development project.

Our projects on this research approach

Recent advances in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and, more specifically, Large Language Models (LLMs) suggest that for using a large and complex set of interrelated technical documents, dialogues in natural language will be possible for accessing the content of such a document set.

The strategic project, which is funded by COMET and carried out jointly by Pro²Future and IFZ, is intended to sensitize Pro²Future researchers to how gender and diversity can be taken into account and integrated in application-oriented research projects, especially those that use artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The goal of the PROTEA project is to foster a vivid collaboration of industry, research and gender experts from IFZ to develop and implement the benefits of 3D-printing of prostheses, taking into account gender and diversity aspects. 

In the FEMtech project "Multifunctional Data Patch for Vital and Movement Monitoring in Everyday Environments" (VITAPATCH), a new technology is developed which makes it possible to realize cost-efficient assessments on a medical quality level in a close to everyday life setting, as well as fitness and movement monitoring. ECG electrodes and piezoelectric sensors on ultra-thin stretchable adhesive foils will send signals to a smartphone app.