Ecological Systems Theory for Studying and Designing Menstrual Technologies

Paper Title

Ecological Systems Theory for Studying and Designing Menstrual Technologies

Publication Info

• Topic area: Application of Ecological Systems Theory (EST) in designing menstrual technologies.
• Keywords: Ecological Systems Theory, menstrual technologies, socio-ecological Canvas, feminist HCI, menstrual health, design tools, socio-technical systems, critical reflection, participatory design, translational research.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Existing approaches in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) often use Ecological Systems Theory (EST) as an analytic lens but lack actionable frameworks to apply ecological perspectives in practice. This gap limits the ability to design menstrual technologies that account for complex socio-ecological influences.
• Significance: Menstrual health and wellbeing are shaped by diverse ecological factors, including cultural, social, and technological influences. Addressing these factors is critical for designing effective, inclusive, and context-sensitive menstrual technologies.
• Motivation and related work: Prior research has highlighted the ecological influences on menstrual experiences and technologies but has not provided practical tools for integrating these insights into design processes. This paper builds on Bronfenbrenner’s EST and feminist HCI to create a tangible, intermediate-level knowledge tool for practitioners.

Solution

• Proposed approach: Development of a socio-ecological Canvas grounded in EST to study and design menstrual technologies. The Canvas includes a visual template, written examples, and generative prompts to facilitate critical reflection and design thinking.
• Novelty:
  1. Translation and adaptation of EST for menstrual health and wellbeing, introducing a somatic layer and reimagining the layers as an interwoven socio-technical fabric.
  2. Creation of a socio-ecological Canvas as a conceptual design tool to support ecological perspectives in HCI practice.
  3. Inclusion of generative prompts and building blocks to scaffold engagement with the Canvas.
  4. Iterative refinement of the Canvas through expert workshops, emphasizing its generative value and adaptability.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  1. Translation of EST into a socio-ecological framework specific to menstrual health, identifying actors, objects, and symbols for each layer.
  2. Development of a low-fidelity Canvas with concentric layers of influence and a time dimension.
  3. Conducting reflective workshops with ten experts in feminist technologies to evaluate and refine the Canvas.
  4. Incorporating feedback to enhance usability, including examples, prompts, and visual metaphors.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • The Canvas facilitated critical reflection on ecological influences, helping participants identify blind spots, reframe problems, and envision new design possibilities.
  • Experts highlighted the importance of addressing temporal dynamics and the interplay between layers.
  • The Canvas was perceived as valuable for fostering collaboration, structuring analysis, and supporting design thinking.
• Advantage over baselines: Unlike traditional tools like stakeholder maps or journey maps, the Canvas provides a broader vocabulary for tracing dynamic relationships and interactions across ecological layers and temporality.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Two workshops with ten experts in feminist technologies.
  • Participants applied the Canvas to past projects, reflecting on its generative value and usability.
  • Data collection included participant-generated materials, audio recordings, and researcher notes.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Small sample size of experts limits generalizability.
  • Further research is needed to evaluate the Canvas’s applicability across diverse contexts and its long-term impact on design practices.
  • Future iterations could explore digital or interactive versions of the Canvas.

Summary

This paper introduces a socio-ecological Canvas, a conceptual design tool grounded in Ecological Systems Theory, for studying and designing menstrual technologies. By adapting EST to include a somatic layer and emphasizing socio-technical interactions, the Canvas provides a structured framework for critical reflection and design thinking. Workshops with experts demonstrated its generative value, highlighting its potential as a collaborative, pedagogical, and analytical tool. While further validation is needed, the Canvas offers a promising approach for integrating ecological perspectives into HCI practice, fostering inclusive and context-sensitive designs.