Why are Ada Lovelace and Lillian Gilbreth important to know about for IXD History?
In both the technology and design worlds, women have been largely overlooked and unacknowledged.
Today, we know that Ada Lovelace is actually the first computer programmer, as she wrote the first algorithm for a machine. Not only that, but she was interested in what other things the machine could do for us, considering ideas like creating music, text, and visual media from a machine. Even today, it is rare that we hear about such innovative feminine minds in the space of technology. I personally find Lovelace to be inspiring because she proves that women have in fact been occupying space in the technology world for much longer than we give them credit. Lovelace proves that men haven’t always dominated the field.
As for Lillian Gilbreth, she is also important when thinking about women’s part in interactive technology development, especially in the IXD space. As a psychologist, Gilbreth was able to consider usability design as she connected her world of psychology to the design world. With her use of her own study applied to the technology design world, the field of IxD benefits from her thinking. Lilian Gilbreth’s intelligence and application prove that no knowledge is wasted and all can contribute to another project. Not only that, but like Lovelace, she occupied a space that was especially male-dominated.
These two women, to me, inspire innovative thinking. So often now do we consider how our ideas will make sense in the current existing market, not allowing ourselves to think outside of the conventional. These two women, despite being underrepresented and underestimated, especially for their time, were still able to defy expectations and bring their own contributions to the field. They pioneered and introduced the field to so many new ways of thinking, and I hope I, as a woman in the IxD field, can also make such an impact.