Suffering-Centered Design

Humans are skilled at closing their minds to the suffering of others. This paper argues that, over the past several decades, human computer interaction tools and techniques have both exacerbated and ameliorated this human tendency. It contributes a theoretical framework for thinking about the relationship between HCI and various forms of suffering, and a set of principles to support suffering-centered design — design activities that foreground the suffering of others rather than obscure it. This paper proposes that there is a need for further exploration of ways that HCI can improve the collective human experience by supporting ways to open people's minds to the suffering of others.