Autobiographical Design

A design research method in which the designer systematically builds and lives with a system intended for their own use, then reflects on that long-term engagement as a source of design insight. Formalized by Neustaedter and Sengers in 2012, autobiographical design is particularly useful when a researcher has direct access to a problem space that is otherwise difficult to study, such as a specific disability, household context, or personal practice. In accessibility research, it overlaps with autoethnography and with Crip Technoscience traditions in which disabled designers build their own assistive tools rather than waiting for institutions to design for them.