Dr Jenny Davis has been awarded an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Grant to study social factors in digital design. The three year project includes includes ethnographic study of software and hardware engineers, coders, entrepreneurs, and end-users. This award, along with her recent ANU Futures grant in experimental sociology, places Dr Davis at the forefront of sociological research on group processes and the social dynamics of technological innovation.

Project Description:

The social dynamics of digital design: building an ethics-based industry.

This project aims to cultivate socially responsible design practices within the Australian digital start-up industry through an industry-user design ethnography, and the development and delivery of a critical design toolkit for industry participants. Social ills associated with technological design have plagued Silicon Valley in the United States of America. Australia is positioned to avoid these issues while emerging as a global leader in ethical design practices. This project will provide Australian start-ups with crucial knowledge to serve diverse populations through thoughtful design decisions, positioning the industry as an exemplar model of social responsibility. This project will advance theories of science and technology studies while positioning Australia as a leading force in social responsibility.