Trans Competent Interaction Design: A Qualitative Study on Voice, Identity, and Technology

Increasing attention is being paid to applications of HCI that center on identity and social justice. Much of this work is influenced by Feminist HCI, a set of design orientations that critique dominant research paradigms and support the development of systems informed by feminist theory. However, the field has largely ignored the lived experiences of transgender people. I review the sociopolitical context of this issue, focusing on feminism's exclusion of trans people and critical health disparities in our population. I then present formative qualitative work in the domain of voice training for trans individuals. Interview participants expressed frustration with prescriptive gender norms and revealed opportunities for a personalized health technology that counteracts these norms. Specically, it could adapt to their goals and provide actionable feedback without judgment or reference to gender stereotypes. From these insights, I propose 'trans competent interaction design' as a starting point for trans-inclusive design practices. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS This is the first study to explore trans individuals' experiences of voice and technology using qualitative methods, and the first to investigate inroads to developing a health informatics tool for trans people. Participants described how rigid gender norms influence their experiences with voice, as well as their gender transitions more broadly. Gender norms were often embedded within current voice training resources and technologies, to which many participants reacted negatively. Participants' ideal designs for a voice training application featured individualized and judgment-free goal setting, reflection and actionable feedback. Trans competent interaction design includes concrete guidelines to support transgender users and combat marginalization, requiring critical engagement with normative discourses on gender and feminism.