Designing For Microaggressions

What is Microaggression?

“A microaggression is a subtle, everyday verbal, behavioral, or environmental slight or insult that communicates a hostile or derogatory message to a person based on their membership in a marginalized group.”

A real-life example would be an Asian American person being asked, “Where are you from?” by a taxi driver in the United States while they are riding in the cab. This is a microaggression because the driver is making an assumption about the person’s identity and origin, usually without any malicious intent. However, this slight can be hurtful and can cause the person to feel marginalized and discriminated against.

Illustration of a common microaggression: A taxi driver asking an Asian American passenger "Where are you from?" - making assumptions about their origin based on appearance.

Understanding the Stakeholders

In microaggression scenarios, three major groups are involved, each with different needs and perspectives:

Victims

Experience microaggressions as isolating, painful, and threatening. They need comfort and validation.

Our Solution: The Microaggression Phone Booth provides a safe space for support and sharing experiences.

Bystanders

Can provide crucial external reinforcement and support. They need tools to recognize and intervene appropriately.

Our Solutions: Digital Pocket Cards encourage action, while the Plant Mural raises community awareness.

Perpetrators

Often unaware of their impact. They need education rather than punishment to understand and change behavior.

Our Solutions: The Daily Report for reflection and the maCAPTCHA to build empathy.

Study Design

Our research employed a participatory design approach, centering the voices and experiences of those most affected by microaggressions:

15

Participatory Design Workshops

47

Participants from Targeted Communities

3

Focus Groups

Workshop Groups

We organized workshops around three identity dimensions frequently targeted by microaggressions:

Gender

Exploring gender-based microaggressions and interventions

Race/Ethnicity

Addressing racial and ethnic microaggressions

Disability & Accessibility

Focusing on ability-based microaggressions

Instead of treating participants merely as “recipients” of training, we engaged them as co-designers. We asked: What kinds of tools, systems, or experiences would actually help you before, during, or after experiencing a microaggression? This participatory approach ensured our interventions were grounded in lived experiences and real needs.

Our Intervention Designs

Through participatory design workshops, we developed five innovative tools to address microaggressions:

Microaggression Phone Booth

A digital safe space where victims can share experiences, receive support, and find validation in a judgment-free environment.

maCAPTCHA

Interactive challenges that build empathy by having users identify and reflect on microaggressive statements before proceeding.

Microaggression Garden

A visual metaphor showing how microaggressions accumulate over time, affecting individuals like weeds in a garden.

Daily Report

Reflective tool for perpetrators to track and understand their daily interactions and potential microaggressions.

Digital Pocket Cards

Quick-reference guides empowering bystanders with appropriate responses and intervention strategies.

Plant Mural

Community art installation raising awareness about the prevalence and impact of microaggressions.

Project Resources

This work was published in Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CSCW ‘25): Sun, L., Chen, Y., Li, B., Li, R., & Vaccaro, K. (2025). Designing For Microaggressions.

Interactive Website

Read the Paper