SPEAKER: Susan Wyche, Associate Professor, Department of Media and Information, Michigan State University

ABSTRACT: In this talk, I will describe how the idea of accompaniment, which emerges from liberation theology and global health, can strengthen human-centered design (HCD) practices in the Information and Communication Technology and Development (ICTD) field. Drawing on my research in Kenya, I will present two projects that show how accompaniment offers another way of approaching design, one that prioritizes listening, mutual understanding, and long-term impact over problem solving and the development of novel technologies. The first project uses an HCD approach to develop an intervention that supports Kenyan youth with Type 1 diabetes in managing their condition. Although our original goal was to create a mobile health (mHealth) application, by relinquishing control of this intention we made space for unexpected outcomes to emerge, including a paper-based logbook and stronger community connections among participants. The second project is a Michigan State University course that connects students with peers at Kenya’s Egerton University to collaborate on design projects. The course activities turn the gaze on us; that is, MSU students became participants of inquiry themselves, reflecting on their own assumptions rather than designing interventions to address perceived problems in Kenya. I conclude by emphasizing the importance of adopting design processes that acknowledge both the possibilities and limits of design, and that support more reciprocal and just collaborations between the Global North and South.

BIO: Dr. Susan Wyche is an Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University and a faculty affiliate of the university’s African Studies Center. Her research focuses on Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD). For nearly two decades, her research program has sought to: 1) understand how people in Africa use ICTs and design technologies that reflect their contexts; 2) critically examine whether ICTs support socioeconomic development; and 3) increase African participation in technology design and research. To achieve these goals, she has conducted extensive fieldwork in Kenya since 2007 and collaborates with local partners to co-design interventions and develop educational programs that promote more inclusive and globally informed approaches to computing. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, USAID, and the Mozilla Foundation. 

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IPaT: GVU Lunch Lecture Series