Critical Design

A research through design methodology that foregrounds the ethics of design practice, reveals potentially hidden agendas and values, and explores alternative design values. In accessibility research, critical design is used to create provocative prototypes not primarily intended as finished products, but as tools to surface users hidden preferences, challenge assumptions embedded in existing systems, and generate deeper discussion about what accessibility solutions should prioritize. By presenting participants with novel, sometimes deliberately imperfect designs, critical design encourages reflection on current practices and helps uncover needs that conventional user research methods might miss.