Introduction

Data is fundamental to our world today. From healthcare to safety measures and creating public spaces, we rely on facts and figures to make crucial decisions. Gender data bias is an issue that has increasingly gained attention in recent years due to the emergence of data-driven decision-making in various fields, especially with the prevalence that artificial intelligence is gaining. The term 'data bias' refers to the systematic exclusion of gender from data collection, analysis, and interpretation, which leads to biased outcomes that favor men over women. This comes into play because data is not collected about women at the same rate it is collected about men. This discrepancy in data collection can be attributed to the fact that throughout human history, man has been seen as the default for everything and woman as an extension of the former. Aristotle, a man revered for his logic and reasoning, saw Greek men as perfect and women as deformed derivatives, writing „The first departure from type is indeed that the offspring should become female instead of male.“ (Aristotle, n.d.) (Criado-Perez, 2019) These biases have been ingrained into our daily lives and subsequently, integrated into the systems we have created.

Gender data gaps exist in every facet of our lives. Caroline Perez writes in her book Invisible Women, „Most of recorded human history is one big data gap. The stories we tell ourselves about our past, present and future are all marked-disfigured-by a female-shaped absent presence.“ (Criado-Perez, 2019, p. 11) These gaps have consequences ranging from minor inconveniences such as not being able to hold a phone comfortably or shivering in an office that is set to a male temperature norm to entirely fatal such as misdiagnosed health conditions and being more likely to die in a car crash.

Research Question

To address these issues the following question will guide this Master’s thesis:

How can we use design intervention to foster empathetic exchange between people while using it as a catalyst for awareness about gendered data biases?

This question will be supported by the following sub-questions to explore the topic better:

1. How can we make this problem easier to visualize?

2. How can we make people realize the consequences of this situation?

Overview of Literature Review

This literature review explores the gender data bias, highlighting the consequences of excluding women from data collection and the prevalence of this bias in various areas. It draws from Caroline Criado-Perez's book „Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men“ and Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren Klein's „Data Feminism,“ as well as several articles and blogs which have been published regarding how gendered data biases affect women in every facet of their lives such as urban planning, safety measures, health diagnosis, and technology.

The review is divided into three main themes: the female body, unpaid labor, and violence against women.

In terms of the female body, the review discusses how women have been historically excluded from medical and scientific knowledge production. The male norm has been used as the standard, leading to a lack of understanding of female biology. The review also mentions the disparity in representation of male and female bodies in textbooks and the persistent belief in the medical community that women's health issues are related to hormones or psychological factors. This bias has significant implications for women's healthcare and treatment outcomes.

The review further examines the impact of gender data bias in car crashes, highlighting that crash test dummies and safety regulations are based on the male physique, resulting in higher risks and injuries for women. It also discusses the issue of bathroom queues and the unequal allocation of space, taking into account anatomical differences and the additional time women require for various reasons.

Another theme is the impact of gender data bias on everyday technologies and gadgets. The review points out that smartphones, voice recognition software, and health-monitoring systems are often designed with male users in mind, disregarding the ergonomic needs and experiences of women. This bias can lead to difficulties in using devices and accessing relevant features.

The review also addresses the issue of unpaid labor, emphasizing that women's contributions in household and caregiving responsibilities often go unrecognized. The economic value of this unpaid work is substantial, and women's limited access to paid employment is often due to their caregiving responsibilities. The review highlights the unequal distribution of unpaid work and its impact on women's well-being.

Lastly, the review discusses violence against women and how gender data bias has influenced the recognition and response to this issue. It mentions high rates of physical and sexual violence experienced by women globally and provides examples of historical instances where violence against women was neglected or downplayed. The review also draws attention to the increase in violence during times of unrest, such as conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The literature review concludes that gender data bias is a significant issue that has a profound impact on women's lives. The collection and utilization of data about women are not progressing at a satisfactory rate and are not effectively utilized. This exclusion and marginalization of women in data collection need to be addressed to promote inclusivity, equitable outcomes, and societal progress.

The persistent data gap regarding women's experiences does not necessarily result from deliberate attempts to hinder their progress but rather reflects historical circumstances. However, it is important to use the existing information as a foundation for substantial improvements.

To address this issue, it is crucial to actively involve women in decision-making processes, policy formulation, and knowledge generation. By doing so, the female perspective can be illuminated and elevated, moving it out of the shadows. Given the rapid pace of global advancements, expediting these measures becomes paramount. It is essential to create an inclusive society where women's voices are empowered, and their unique needs and perspectives are acknowledged and integrated into progress.

Insights + Opportunities

The literature review recognizes that the gender data gap does not arise from deliberate malice but is instead a reflection of historical circumstances. To fully grasp this, it is necessary to confront personal biases and understand the existing structure of the world. In the year 2023, men still predominantly occupy positions of authority when it comes to shaping data collection and processing. The global research community consists of less than 30% women, according to UIS statistics, highlighting the need to address this disparity for achieving gender equality in decision-making roles. Additionally, there is a lack of awareness among many individuals, including those in influential positions, regarding the existence and magnitude of the gender data gap. While it remains inconspicuous for those who have not experienced its repercussions, its normalization among others hinders progress. Therefore, raising awareness becomes crucial in order to mobilize action towards rectifying the gender data gap.

Subsequently, I realized the following opportunities for design intervention:

1. Facilitating Introspection and Awareness: The researcher recognizes the need to contribute by raising awareness and facilitating introspection among individuals. By encouraging individuals to confront their biases and understand the gender data gap, meaningful changes can be initiated within their respective spheres of influence.

2. Catalyzing Collective Effort: The intention is to foster a deeper understanding and catalyze a collective effort to acknowledge and rectify the gender data gap. This collective action aims to drive progress toward a more equitable and inclusive world.

Overall, the literature review emphasizes the importance of recognizing the gender data gap, addressing biases, raising awareness, and fostering collective action to rectify the gap and promote gender equality in data collection and decision-making.

Ideation

Based on my insights and my research question, it was clear to me that I needed to create something that would make people cognizant of this problem. I didn't want my design solution to just throw facts and figures at the audience but also to engage them. In my discussions with my advisor, we talked about how people are creatures of habit and naturally resist change whether it's physical or in their mindsets. The introduction of change disrupts autonomy and can induce a sense of territorial control slipping away from individuals. This is why human beings are much more willing to make changes when they feel like they are actively contributing to the change themselves. 

As I researched potential design interventions, I realized that a website would be the best way to convey the information that I wanted people to know about.

Upon further research, I decided to transform this website into a platform that transcends the archival presentation of facts, figures, and graphs. I wanted individuals to be able to experience the impact of the problems stemming from the gender data gap.

Website Architecture

During my investigation into captivating websites, I discovered a common attribute - the presence of a distinctive hook. These websites utilized elements in their user interface that caught my attention, improving the overall user experience. Examples of these hooks included innovative design features, interactive elements, and captivating content placement. Incorporating this attribute, I devised a hook for my own project: a collection of challenging mini games intentionally designed to be unbeatable. Inspired by games like Flappy Bird and Getting Over It, I aimed to amplify frustration to reflect the experience of navigating through a male-centric environment. By including unattainable objectives, my project seeks to create a heightened sense of challenge and engagement, resulting in a unique and memorable user experience.

Throughout the user journey, the website aims to provide an engaging, educational, and empowering experience. It guides users from interactive gameplay to in-depth resources and the opportunity to share personal stories. The user journey map ensures that users not only gain awareness of the gender data gap but also feel connected, informed, and inspired to advocate for change.

User Experience/Information Architecture

Following the gameplay, the website will transition to a page featuring a selection of interactive games designed to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted manifestations of gender data bias, highlighting its tendency to disproportionately favor men over women. On top are three buttons present: About, Resources and Stories.

The about section will provide a comprehensive overview of the entire project while providing valuable insights and context to the games that the user experienced earlier allowing users to gain a deeper understanding of the project's objectives, methodologies, and significance.

The resources section will serve as a valuable repository, offering curated links to a diverse range of books, articles, videos, and other relevant materials pertaining to gender data bias. This comprehensive collection will provide users with an opportunity to delve deeper into the intricacies of the issue at hand, fostering a holistic understanding. Moreover, this section serves as an acknowledgment and tribute to the resources that have played a pivotal role in inspiring and informing the development of this thesis project.

Lastly, the stories section will provide users with an opportunity to contribute their own personal accounts, documenting their experiences with gender data bias. This platform will serve as a living database, highlighting the ongoing impact of gender data bias on women's lives in contemporary society. While not every story may be adaptable into a game format, it remains paramount that these narratives emerge from obscurity, igniting a collective inspiration to reshape prevailing norms and practices worldwide.

The Games

Outlined below are three mini game concepts for the website’s first page. The initial game showcases meticulously crafted visuals, serving as a definitive representation of the intended game design aesthetic, thereby facilitating a more immersive and comprehensive understanding.

Handy Size Game

This game draws inspiration from Zeynep Tufekci's experience in Gezi Park, where she struggled to capture usable photographs due to the design of her phone being cumbersome for her smaller hand. The objective of the game is to capture three photographs of a concealed policeman in a garden setting within a time limit. The gameplay gradually increases in difficulty, with the third photograph being impossible to capture due to physical limitations. The game concludes with an informative exposition about smartphone design bias and transitions to a website for further exploration of gender data bias. This structured progression provides users with a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

The Reference Man Game

The game challenges the notion of the reference man, who represents average anatomical and physiological traits but is predominantly based on a Caucasian male. Players control a female character using arm movements and keyboard commands to match shapes approaching her. The game progressively becomes more difficult, highlighting the biases and limitations faced by women. The final level represents an insurmountable obstacle, symbolizing the biases of a world built for men. The game concludes with an explanation of the reference man phenomenon, leading to the website.

Swerve

This game is a straightforward driving experience, granting users control over a character maneuvering a car. The primary objective is to skillfully navigate and swerve to avoid obstacles, ensuring they are not collided with. As the game progresses, the level of difficulty intensifies, culminating in the final challenge wherein a wall obstructs the entire road, rendering it impossible to avoid, resulting in an inevitable collision for the character. The concept of this game stems from the unfortunate reality that women face a higher risk of injury in car accidents, due to safety regulations predominantly relying on crash test dummies based on male anatomical proportions. This gameplay will end with information regarding the gender disparity and the importance of data collection regarding women for inclusive safety standards in the automotive industry.

The Website

Branding

Established in 1968, „Mind the Gap“ is a widely recognized cautionary phrase employed to alert railway passengers to exercise caution when traversing the horizontal, and in certain instances, vertical spatial gap between the train doorway and the platform edge. Drawing inspiration from this iconic phrase, I have chosen to name this project „Mind The Gap“ to underscore its objective of fostering widespread awareness regarding the substantial disparity in data collection practices between genders.

The bold style of the logo was inspired by Barbra Kruger, an American visual and graphic designer. However I wanted to break up the heaviness of the bold san serif font because I wanted this branding to appear more approachable and modern.

In keeping with the theme of being modern and approachable, I chose colours that represented this theme. The warm orange and yellow tones supplemented by the cool purples compliment each other well and add an approachability to the design.

Limitations

This project recognizes the limitations of changing deeply ingrained beliefs and the complexity of the gender data gap as a systemic issue. It emphasizes that a single project cannot provide a comprehensive solution but can serve as a catalyst for broader conversations and actions. Addressing the gender data gap requires sustained commitment from diverse stakeholders across multiple domains, including policy reform and public awareness campaigns. By acknowledging these limitations, the project calls for ongoing dedication, research, advocacy, and engagement to create lasting transformation and foster a more equitable and inclusive society.

Further Developments

The website has potential for further expansion to raise awareness about gender data bias. Ideas include transforming it into an immersive interactive exhibition, allowing individuals to engage directly with the data for a deeper understanding. Another idea is to use augmented reality/virtual reality technology to provide immersive experiences of the mini games, enabling users to experience the challenges faced by women firsthand. These approaches aim to extend the website's reach, provoke insights, stimulate conversations, and prompt meaningful action against gender data bias.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this master's thesis has explored the crucial issue of the gender data gap and has aimed to address the research question of how to raise awareness about this pressing concern.

Through the proposed design outcome, a website featuring mini games inspired by real-life instances of the gender data gap's impact on women's lives, significant strides can be made in bridging the awareness gap and promoting a deeper understanding of this complex issue.

The website's interactive and engaging nature, facilitated by the mini games on its first page, serves as a powerful tool for fostering empathy and illuminating the challenges faced by women due to the gender data gap. By immersing users in relatable scenarios, these games provide firsthand experiences that leave a lasting impact and facilitate meaningful reflection.

Moreover, the inclusion of resources and links within the website serves as a comprehensive knowledge hub, enabling users to delve further into the intricacies of the gender data gap. By providing access to relevant literature, articles, videos, and additional materials, users can gain a more nuanced understanding of the issue and its far-reaching implications.

Furthermore, the submission page serves as an inclusive space where women can share their personal stories and experiences of gender data bias, adding depth and authenticity to the project. This dynamic element not only strengthens the database of narratives but also emphasizes the importance of amplifying women's voices and experiences in order to effectuate change.

Looking ahead, future implementations of this project could explore the integration of extended reality (XR) technologies to enhance the user experience. By leveraging augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) technologies, these experiences can be brought to life in a more immersive and impactful manner. This advancement would enable users to witness firsthand the consequences of the gender data gap, further igniting empathy, understanding, and a sense of urgency for change.

The fusion of interactive mini games, informative resources, and a platform for personal submissions has the potential to provoke meaningful dialogue, inspire action, and contribute to bridging the gender data gap. By embracing emerging technologies in future iterations, the project can continue to evolve and foster even greater awareness, understanding, and ultimately, positive change.

Thesis PDF

You can read about the whole project and the in-depth research here: