Find the Conference, workshop, talk or research school that is just the right fit for you. Find colleagues with shared research interests and invest in yourself.
The DJE SIG is launching a talk series, with Dr. Grace Burleson as guest speaker at the inaugural talk "Designing for People and Context: Integrating Social, Political, and Institutional Factors in Product Design"
Location: Online
Date: 19 November 2025
Time: 20:30 (UTC+0)
Register/join us here: unimelb.zoom.us/meeting/register/pkmJchzHRFm-ucDN13A2_g#/registration
Grace Burleson is a multi-disciplinary researcher working towards advancing design science, with an emphasis on improving engineering for social impact and global development applications. She is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Faculty Fellow in the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering and Resilience at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA. Through experimental and ethnographic human subjects research, her research group seeks to advance engineering design theory and methods so that solutions lead to improved social, environmental, and economic outcomes. Dr. Burleson earned her PhD in Design Science from the University of Michigan, as well as MS in Applied Anthropology and MS/BS in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University.
Talk Title: Designing for People and Context: Integrating Social, Political, and Institutional Factors in Product Design
Brief Abstract: All successful products are shaped by the cultural, political, economic, and institutional settings in which they are created and used. This presentation provides an overview of recent advances in design theory and methodology that broaden how “context” is understood within engineering design. It introduces an expanded framework for classifying contextual factors and explains how these factors can be systematically incorporated across different stages of the design process. The talk also highlights ongoing research on stakeholder perspective-taking as a means to strengthen designers’ ability to recognize and respond to contextual considerations. By connecting contextual awareness to actionable design strategies, the presentation outlines new opportunities for designers to engage more intentionally with the social and institutional systems that shape their work.
Hope to see you there!
Best wishes,
Madhurima, Anatasia and William
