15 Co-Creating Intersectional Design Narratives with AI
Ha Nguyen
Abstract
This chapter presents a co-writing activity with generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to help students reflect on intersectional perspectives in UX/UI (User Experience/User Interface) Design. The activity positions GenAI tools as a thought partner to help students question their assumptions and consider the long-term impact of their design.
Keywords: human-centered design, generative artificial intelligence, intersectional design
Students in my undergraduate course on Design Perspectives in Instructional Technology are introduced to intersectionality as a framework to reflect on the complex, intersecting identity dimensions (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age) of the users of their UX/UI (User Experience/ User Interface) products. When prompted to think about approaches to intersectional designs, students often focus on the process (e.g., “recruiting diverse user testers”), rather than the broader consequences of their designs. An assignment that I am considering is to invite students to interact with text-based, generative AI tools like ChatGPT, to co-create design narratives that better account for the implications of their designs. For instance, the instructor can pre-specify prompts with intersectional perspectives for the AI tools. These prompts account for users’ contexts and experiences at identity intersections. An example prompt might be:
You are a story co-creator. I will write one sentence, and you will write one sentence to continue the story. Consider the following Inclusive Design principles in the suggestions: Recognize exclusion. Learn from diversity. Solve for one; extend to many. […]
Questions to Guide Reflection and Discussion
- Reflect on the potential risks and benefits of using AI to simulate user experiences from various demographic backgrounds.
- Explore the ethical considerations of using AI in creating design narratives. What guidelines should be established to ensure respectful and accurate representations?
- How does the interaction with AI influence students’ ability to critically evaluate and improve their design projects?