Uncovering potential bias in engineering design: a comparative review of bias research in medicine

Abstract Engineering design research has focused on developing and refining methods and evaluating design education in design education, design research and design in practice. One important aspect that is not thoroughly investigated is the influence of bias on design within these spaces of design. Bias is known to impact the interpretation of information, decision-making and practices in all areas. These factors are vital in engineering design education, practice and research, emphasizing the importance of investigating bias. The first goal of this study is to highlight and synthesize existing bias research in design education, research and practice. The second goal is to identify areas where bias may be under-researched or under-reported in design. To achieve these goals, a comparative analysis is performed against a comparable field: medicine. Many parallels exist between both fields. Patient–provider and designer–end-user relationships are comparable. Medical education is comparable to design education with the cooperative, inquiry-based and integrated learning pedagogy approaches. Lastly, physicians and design engineers both solve cognitively complex systems-oriented problems. Leveraging research on bias in medicine enables us to highlight gaps in engineering design. Recommendations are made to help design researchers address these gaps.