Teresa Almeida delivers keynote “Awkward by Design” at Human-Centered Design Week 2025
Teresa Almeida, Assistant Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico and researcher at the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI/LARSyS), delivered a keynote talk at the Human-Centered Design Week (HCDWeek 2025), organised by Fraunhofer AICOS and held in Porto from November 17 to 20, 2025.
The keynote, titled “Awkward by Design”, explored awkwardness as both a research tool and a lens for design practice, particularly when engaging with sensitive topics such as intimate health and care. Drawing on a series of studies, the talk highlighted how intentionally incorporating awkwardness into design can disrupt norms, provoke reflection, and create opportunities for deeper engagement, fostering more memorable and meaningful experiences.
Teresa Almeida’s interdisciplinary work critically engages with the design of technologies related to health(care) and wellbeing, feminist data practices, and the security and privacy of intimate data, combining research-through-design and participatory methods to address stigmatized topics and include marginalized communities of practice.
🔗 Event page:
https://www.aicos.fraunhofer.pt/en/scientific-areas/human-centred-design/hcdweek/2025.html
Image credits: © Fraunhofer AICOS / HCDWeek 2025
