Designing perception: Investigating gender perception in designed objects through practice-based research

Overview

https://research.qut.edu.au/designlab/https://research.qut.edu.au/designlab/

Perceptions of gender are not limited to people; they extend to objects, products, and environments through subtle interactions between form, language, and cultural context. The inclusion and arrangement of specific aesthetic attributes are a primary driver of perceived object gender, interacting with various factors, including cultural and personal individual identity. This creates an opportunity to reframe the question of “object gender” through a design research lens.

This PhD project seeks to explore object gender through practice-based design research. It leverages user engagement and applied design practice to explore how meaning is constructed and negotiated through designed artefacts to inform more inclusive, culturally responsive, and adaptable design outcomes. The research may involve qualitative and participatory methods, alongside the development of physical and/or digital artefacts that apply parametric design and mass customisation approaches.

Research activities

• Review literature on object perception, gender attribution, and design semiotics.
• Investigate how aesthetic attributes influence perceived object gender across different contexts.
• Design and implement qualitative studies (e.g., interviews, workshops, co-design sessions) and/or quantitative studies with diverse participant groups.
• Develop and prototype physical and/or digital artefacts exploring gender-coded design variations.
• Explore parametric and generative design approaches to enable adaptable or customisable design outcomes.
• Synthesise findings into design frameworks, principles, or tools.

Outcomes

• Empirical insights into how design interacts with other factors to shape object perception.
• Theoretical contributions to design research, particularly in relation to semiotics, perception, and inclusivity.
• Design frameworks or methodologies for culturally responsive and inclusive design practice.
• Prototype artefacts or systems demonstrating adaptive or customisable design approaches.
• Contributions to knowledge on parametric design and mass customisation in human-centred contexts.
• Recommendations for designers and industry on addressing implicit biases in design outcomes.
• Peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Skills and experience

• Educational background: Ideal candidates may have a background in industrial/product design, interaction design, human-centred design, or related design fields.
• Research skills: Experience with qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews, thematic analysis, co-design) and/or quantitative research methods is desirable.
• Applied research: An interest in design research as both a theoretical and practice-based inquiry.
• Technical knowledge: Familiarity with or interest in digital design tools, parametric modelling, or generative design approaches is beneficial.
• Communication and collaboration: Effective communication and collaboration abilities to enable engagement with diverse user groups and cultural contexts.
• Inclusive and social design: An interest in inclusive, culturally responsive, or socially oriented design.

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

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Keywords

• Industrial Design
• Object Perception
• Design Semantics
• Parametric Design
• Customisation
• Human-centred Design
• Inclusive Design

Contact

Contact the supervisor for more information.