Hi there. I am an interdisciplinary researcher, practitioner, and educator based in Pittsburgh, PA (US). My scholarship draws from critical design theory, feminist science and technology studies, critical ethnic studies, and urban humanities. My work examines the potential and limitations of design and technology’s role in place-based social and civic innovation projects. This work intends to inform different ways of practicing design in an equitable, ethical, and situated manner.

My research sits at the intersection of just transitions, diverse economies, and design + AI ethics. My practice focuses on designing (alternative) conditions for community and locally-based approaches to systems-level change. My teaching has a whole-person development approach and aims to build students’ confidence in their experiential and practical knowledge.

I have been teaching at the graduate level for the past six years, and practicing as a strategist and co-designer for the past ten years. In this capacity, I have worked on a range of systems-level projects across several fields, including urban planning, public policy, civic technology, service design, and transitional justice initiatives.

I am currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York University’s (NYU) Technology, Culture and Society Department; owner and principal of studio eyk; member and collaborator at the Tech Solidarity Lab in the Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) at CMU; and mentor at NEW Inc.

Esther Y. Kang, PhD

Designer, artist, Researcher & Educator