Searching for Structure: The Gender Dimension in HCI

This article provides a comprehensive examination of feminist design frameworks within the field of human–computer interaction (HCI). Despite significant scholarly contributions since the 1980s aimed at integrating gender considerations into HCI design processes, critiques have consistently highlighted a persistent lack of concrete guidance for practitioners. This article aims to address this gap by offering a structural overview of publication types and conducting a comparative analysis of three pivotal works by Bardzell (2010), Homewood et al. (2021), and Bjørn et al. (2023). Through this analysis, the article identifies recurring motifs essential for developing actionable recommendations for gender-sensitive design. These motifs include a normative design attitude, the body, social constitution and environmental design, as well as action and interaction. Ultimately, the article argues that a truly feminist HCI design process must move beyond purely cognitivist approaches, embracing the complexities of action, interaction, materiality, and social construction to foster a more inclusive and equitable design landscape.