Beyond the Default Male User: A Literature Review of Feminist Perspectives in Human-Centred Design

Prapti Singhal

Beyond the Default Male User: A Literature Review of Feminist Perspectives in Human-Centred Design

Author(s)	Prapti Singhal
Country	India
Abstract	Human-Centred Design (HCD) is widely recognised as a design philosophy that prioritises users’ needs, experiences, and interactions throughout the development of products, services, and systems. Despite its user-focused principles, traditional HCD has frequently relied on the assumption of a universal or “average” user, inadvertently treating the male body, experiences, and perspectives as the default standard. This structural bias has contributed to the exclusion or underrepresentation of women, LGBTQ+ individuals, persons with disabilities, older adults, and other marginalised communities, resulting in products and technologies that inadequately address the diversity of human needs. Evidence from healthcare, automotive safety, digital technologies, ergonomics, and artificial intelligence demonstrates that default male assumptions can produce unequal outcomes with significant social, economic, and health consequences. This literature review critically examines feminist perspectives on Human-Centred Design and explores how feminist theories challenge the concept of the “default male user.” Drawing upon interdisciplinary literature from human–computer interaction, design studies, feminist theory, healthcare, ergonomics, psychology, and artificial intelligence, the review synthesises existing research on gender bias in design, inclusive and participatory design methodologies, intersectionality, feminist ethics of care, and design justice. It further evaluates the limitations of conventional Human-Centred Design frameworks and analyses emerging approaches that advocate for the active inclusion of historically marginalised users throughout the design process. The review argues that truly human-centred design cannot be achieved through gender-neutral assumptions or average-user models. Instead, diversity, equity, accessibility, and intersectionality must be recognised as fundamental design principles rather than supplementary considerations. By integrating feminist perspectives into Human-Centred Design, designers can better identify hidden biases, improve representation in research and testing, and develop products, services, and technologies that are safer, more accessible, and more equitable for diverse populations. Ultimately, this review contributes to the growing body of scholarship advocating for a shift from designing for an assumed universal user toward designing with and for diverse human experiences.
Keywords	Human-Centred Design, feminist design, default male user, gender bias, inclusive design, intersectionality, human–computer interaction, design justice, participatory design.
Field	Computer > Design
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-11

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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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Beyond the Default Male User: A Literature Review of Feminist Perspectives in Human-Centred Design

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