Title of the research: Pirate Design and Feminist Counter-Narratives: A Comparative Study of the Relational Ecosystems Surrounding Practices of Reappropriation of Technical Skills in Chosen Mixed-Gender Settings in Quebec and France
under the supervision of Dr. Thomas-Bernard Kenniff and Anne-Lyse Renon
Abstract: Located on the fringes of the dominant industrial and institutional design circuits, practices of reappropriation of technical skills by and for women and gender minorities have been on the rise for the past decade in Quebec and France. Through a comparative study of these feminist technical cultures, this research project examines the affective dimensions of these alternative forms of situated design, which we propose to term “pirate design.” By drawing on feminist theories, critical design, and affect theory, this research analyzes the relational ecosystems that structure these practices: networks, knowledge transmission, solidarity, and forms of governance. It pays particular attention to the role of affects and their corporeality as operative forces in processes of learning and collective autonomy. Based on an action-research/creation methodology co-constructed with participating communities, this research aims to propose a sensitive, intersectional, and ecofeminist framework for interpreting design.