Winter 2025
Afrofuturist Feminism: Using practices of Afrofuturism and Black feminism to develop new technological approaches
Instructors:
Led by Dr. Brooke Bosley in collaboration with HCDE Professor Daniela Rosner
Nothing has to look or function the way it does. The West man’s freedom, unscientifically got at the expense of the rest of the world’s people, has allowed him to xpand his mind–spread his sensibility wherever it cdgo, & so shaped the world, & its powerful artifact-engines.
Technology & Ethos, Vol. 2 Book of Life by Imamu Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka's Technology & Ethos argues for a new technology not shaped by the West or power but humanistic and grounded in consciousness and spirituality. Looking at Baraka's work and BIPOC Human Computer Interaction (HCI) practitioners like Winchester III, Harrington, Bray, Sherman, Klassen, and others, this research group will seek to answer the following questions:
- What forms of theoretical work on Afrofuturism and Black Feminism currently exist in HCI and design?
- How does one build more humanistic technology and/or technology grounded in critical humanistic modes of inquiry?
- How can we engage Afrofuturist and Black Feminist theories as we build new technology?
Students will spend the first half of the quarter reading across areas of Afrofuturism and Black Feminism HCI to understand how those critical humanistic approaches inform technology building. Also, to understand Afrofuturist HCI, students will read a few pieces of literature from Afrofuturist writers such as N.K. Jemisin, Rivers Solomon, and Octavia E. Butler to examine how Black speculative writing is leveraged in HCI theory.
The second half of the quarter will focus on engaging these principles to building new technologies (i.e. healthcare, artificial intelligence, social media service, education, public safety, etc.). Students will consider the challenges of applying these theoretical approaches and how these theories shape new technology. Work from this directed research group will inform a research paper where students will contribute and be listed as co-authors.
Enrollment information
- Meeting time: Tentatively planned for the following days/time, but would like students input on availability.
- Wednesdays, 1 - 3 p.m.
- Wednesdays, 2 - 4 p.m.
- Fridays, 1 - 3 p.m.
- Credits: Students will receive 2 credits for successful completion of the DRG which will be determined by active participation in course discussion and completion of the project.
- Who should apply: Ideal students will have completed basic coursework in HCDE, working on masters or PhD, qualitative analysis experience/aptitude, interest in Afrofuturism,Speculative design, and Black Feminism, and interaction design/making.
- This DRG counts toward the directed research requirement for PhD students.
- To apply: Complete this Google Form by December 1, 2024.
- Anticipated notification date: December 9, 2024
- Questions? Students should contact Dr. Brooke Bosley (fvbosley@gmail.com) with title ‘DRG Course: Afrofuturist Feminism.’
Autumn 2024
Capstone Formations
Note this opportunity is only for HCDE Master's students.
Capstone is a culminating experience for MS HCDE students. It offers students the opportunity to synthesize learnings from their studies to address real-world issues using human-centered design and engineering. The projects are student-run, large-scale developments that encompass two quarters of student work. In this scope and complexity, capstone differs from most HCDE courses. Students learn to work across peers, instructors, staff, and very often external partners to conduct in-depth research, planning and design that encompass multiple focused cycles of inquiry and intervention.
This next offering of Capstone Formations is designed to help MS HCDE students navigate these developments. We organize Capstone Formations as a four-part event series, with each event dedicated to a capstone-specific concern:
- Introduction to Capstone | 10/9/24 11:45-12:30 PM
- What is capstone? How do I plan ahead? What kind of work has come out of capstone?
- Lead by: Daniela Rosner, HCDE Professor and MS Program Co-Director; Guest: Tyler Fox, Associate Teaching Professor and longtime Capstone Instructor
- Team Formation | 10/23/24, 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- How do teams get formed? Who should I aim to work with?
- Lead by: Daniela Rosner; Guest: MS alumni
- Project Focus | 11/06/24, 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- How do I decide on a project? What “sponsored projects” are available to work with?
- Lead by: Daniela Rosner; Melissa Ewing, HCDE Outreach and Strategic Partnerships Manager
- Applications + Milestones | 12/04/24, 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- What are the main applications and milestones I should know about? How (to work with external partners, to receive funds)
- Lead by: Daniela Rosner
This event series is exploratory in character; each week will be organized as a lecture and discussion, offering time for students to form teams, learn about and discuss sponsored projects, and anticipate upcoming milestones.
We offer this opportunity in line with other HCDE lecture events such as dub—giving course credit to those who sign up for credit (as a DRG), but also giving students the option to attend without credit. Given gaps in the dub schedule this year, we have also aligned this opportunity with the dub lecture series so that capstone students signing up for dub can take this course during the “down” days of the quarter.
Enrollment information
Master's students should email Professor Daniela Rosner at dkrosner@uw.edu with their UW email to be added to the Canvas course website. If you would like to enroll with DRG credits (optional), please indicate that in your email to receive an add code.