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DESIGNING
WITH CARE
100kicks is a creative research consultancy focused on helping teams design with care. Our work is rooted in thoughtful, culturally grounded research that asks deeper questions about how people live, decide and interact. The principles below came from our first year of projects and a recurring theme around prediction and data. We see care as a long term strategy, not a buzzword, and we embed it in every project, no matter the size.
the desiGning with care principles
Design for Flexibility and Adaptability through ongoing communication.
Flexibility and adaptability ensure communication remains clear, relevant and user led. In sensitive contexts like awaiting genomic testing, this means using the right modes and timing, avoiding unintentional silence and tailoring interactions to individual needs across different services and situations.
Individualised Analysis and person-centric Prediction.
Individualised analysis and person centric prediction prioritise lived experience over generic correlations. For example, a health app might draw from someone’s personal history to offer insights, rather than assuming “this is what 30-year-olds are like,” making space for agency, nuance and adaptability.
Designing whilst taking into account the biases that are underpinning design decisions.
Taking account of underlying biases means openly documenting assumptions behind design decisions. For example, a dating app team might first reflect on their views and prejudices about dating today, helping surface motivations and ensure more intentional, transparent and inclusive design choices.
Design for Active Contribution, Responsibility, and Empowerment.
Designing for active contribution, responsibility and empowerment means recognising people as co creators, not passive users. Especially in government or community tech, this involves clear pathways to access data, make requests and shape services, centering rights, agency and ongoing participation in the design process.
Design for increasing transparency around the human knowledge involved in building the product or service.
Designing for transparency around human knowledge means showing what data and decisions shaped a product or service. For example, knowing ChatGPT was trained on Reddit data reveals gaps, like limited representation from the global south. This is still an exploratory principle, one that may evolve through legislation or simple visible documentation, helping people understand whose knowledge built the systems they use.
Designing for transparency around human knowledge means showing what data and decisions shaped a product or service. For example, knowing ChatGPT was trained on Reddit data reveals gaps, like limited representation from the global south. This is still an exploratory principle, one that may evolve through legislation or simple visible documentation, helping people understand whose knowledge built the systems they use.
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ABOUT ME
I’m a digital anthropologist interested in how we design and whether we should. I am also known as a user researcher or service designer, but ultimately my work is about situating and understanding complex systems, how they work, who is involved and who will be impacted. I explore the role of imagination in shaping new realities and futures, which I also write about in my Fiction Informs Reality newsletter. Through 100kicks, I am available to bolster existing teams or lead direct client work on a project basis.
AFREEN SAULAT
Founder & Research Director
Read moreAt 100kicks, I work solo or build tailored teams depending on what the project needs. When needed, I bring in trusted collaborators including designers, developers and researchers. We prioritise working with women of colour and people from underrepresented backgrounds because of the depth and perspective they bring. This keeps our work agile, grounded and deeply informed by lived experience.
Company Registration No. 13950958
