How positionality influences engineering design-for-social-good work: insights from practitioners and students

Abstract

Engineering design applications that emphasize positive societal impacts are growing in popularity, yet often overlook the critical importance of engineering designers’ and stakeholders’ positionalities – their unique identities, experiences and resulting perspectives and social positions relative to others – in shaping design decisions. Insufficient attention to positionality can limit designers’ abilities to navigate complex problem contexts, engage diverse perspectives and address power dynamics, ultimately constraining the effectiveness and equity of design outcomes. However, little is known about how designers conceptualize and account for positionality in practice, particularly in the early stages of design when problem framing decisions are made. Therefore, this study explored how 10 engineering students and 10 practitioners conceptualized positionality in the initial stages of design for “social good,” where its impacts are especially pronounced. Each participant engaged in a written reflection and semistructured interview. Key findings include limitations in participants’ available language and strategies for accounting for positionality in design processes, particularly in the early stages, and that participants’ learning about positionality was largely driven by exposure to diverse identities and contexts. These insights highlight the limitations of engineering training and skillsets in design-for-social-good and emphasize the need for strategic, intentional consideration of positionality in design practice and education.