What would a world of services designed by queer communities look like? What are the barriers and service gaps which affect queer people? What are the Queer design principles?

Workshop Dates: July 20-24, 2020

Enrol here!

Faculty: Rory Hamilton

What is this workshop?

"How can we stage the kind of intellectual adventures that allow for surprise, unanticipated outcomes and unpredictable effects."- Jack Halberstam, author of 'The Queer Art of Failure'

Queer (LGBTQ+) communities live in a time when they can express themselves as never before. But even in more 'open' countries, queer people find themselves still being subtly, or not so subtly repressed or unrepresented. The world around us, its laws, structures, symbols, media and services are designed for the heterosexual 'norm'.

Queer service design aims to critique and reimagine services with an LGBTQ+ perspective, using methods and processes influenced by Queer theory.

Queer theory uses LGBTQ+ experience and sensibility as a way of dissecting everyday society and uncovering and questioning the 'social norms' that often damage or hinder us all, queer or not.

So we want to ask "What would a world of services designed by queer communities look like? What are the barriers and service gaps which affect queer people? What are the Queer design principles?"

What will you learn?

We will start by exploring our own identities as a group. Then using subjective and qualitative design techniques, to critique the service world around us with through queer lens.

We will then imagine and visualise new, improved, speculative Queer services for the future.

What happens when Queer service design principles are applied to health (physical and mental), media, education, ageing, the family, finance, transport and the law?

How will you learn it?

This will be a very hands on course, and it's the first time it's running. We will bring tools and methods and experience, but we hope to develop more over the 5 days with your help.

• Methods to explore our own experiences and identities


• Techniques to engage with the LGBTQ+ community


• How to record and critique existing services


• How to design new tools for research and design


• Tools to ideate and visualise speculative services


• To create services which allow for ambiguity, diversity and change


• To create and use new queer design principles

You will leave with abilities to communicate a Queer critique and positive Queer design principles to a wider world

Is this for you?

We see this class as a space for queer designers, activists and their allies. And for those interested in representing LGBTQ+ voices in their products and services (public or private). The course is open to all, not just LGBTQ+ participants :-)
Some design/research/organisational skills are useful, but not essential. Prerequisites:

• An interest in LGBTQ+ issues


• An inclusive non-judgemental mindset


• Willingness to work in teams


• Also, let's leave our egos at the door

What do you need to bring to this workshop?

• A laptop


• A smartphone/camera

Enrol now: There is a maximum number of 20 places available for each workshop, first come first served. Enrolment will be closed when the workshops are full.