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How Power and Design Shape the Technology We Use With Dr. Christine Miller | Ep. 144
Most people think technology is neutral. It’s not.
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Dr. Christine Miller, Professor of Design Management at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and author of “Tools, Totems, and Totalities.” She studies how power and cultural values get embedded into the technology we use every day.
We explore why so many modern tools feel like systems we have to submit to rather than products we choose, how AI and platforms are designed to ensure “the house always wins,” and what it takes to build technology that empowers human imagination instead of exploiting it.
Chris introduces the framework of tools, totems, and totalities — a lens for understanding why there’s such a gap between what technology promises and what it actually delivers. We also talk about the unique systemic challenges female founders face when trying to build outside the gravity of existing tech totalities.
This episode is for female founders, women in tech, and startup leaders who are building products and want to understand how design choices embed power dynamics into technology.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why modern technology reflects power dynamics, not just functionality
- The difference between tools that work with you vs. tools that work for you
- How “totalities” like venture capital force founders into predefined roles
- Why profitability should be measured in infrastructure, social, and cultural capital — not just financial returns
- The “dreams and nightmares” framework for designing technology that people actually trust
- How to stay on the “pirate trajectory” — plundering a system’s resources without being pulled into its gravity
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
05:34 Exploring Hegemony in Technology
08:28 The Nature of Technology and Trust
11:18 The Concept of Neutrality in Technology
14:17 Understanding Tools, Totems, and Totalities
17:03 The Impact of Totalities on Technology
19:53 Women Founders and Systemic Challenges
22:59 Alternatives in Technology: Blue Sky
25:54 Profitability and Societal Progress
34:38 Measuring Societal Benefit and Design Value
37:52 Identity-Shaping Technology and Brand Influence
41:12 Addiction to Technology and Design Principles
44:59 Conviviality and Sustainable Technology
48:48 The Challenge of Perspective in Corporate Culture
52:07 Building Support Networks for Founders
55:45 Designing for Creativity and Imagination
Connect with Christine Miller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-z-miller-ph-d-b4735350/
Order her book Tools, Totems, and Totalities: The Modern Construction of Hegemonic Technology
On Amazon
On Bol
🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
👉 Subscribe for more conversations on building tech that empowers, not exploits.
View all episodes
By Dirkjan HupkesMost people think technology is neutral. It’s not.
In this episode of Women Disrupting Tech, I talk with Dr. Christine Miller, Professor of Design Management at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and author of “Tools, Totems, and Totalities.” She studies how power and cultural values get embedded into the technology we use every day.
We explore why so many modern tools feel like systems we have to submit to rather than products we choose, how AI and platforms are designed to ensure “the house always wins,” and what it takes to build technology that empowers human imagination instead of exploiting it.
Chris introduces the framework of tools, totems, and totalities — a lens for understanding why there’s such a gap between what technology promises and what it actually delivers. We also talk about the unique systemic challenges female founders face when trying to build outside the gravity of existing tech totalities.
This episode is for female founders, women in tech, and startup leaders who are building products and want to understand how design choices embed power dynamics into technology.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Why modern technology reflects power dynamics, not just functionality
- The difference between tools that work with you vs. tools that work for you
- How “totalities” like venture capital force founders into predefined roles
- Why profitability should be measured in infrastructure, social, and cultural capital — not just financial returns
- The “dreams and nightmares” framework for designing technology that people actually trust
- How to stay on the “pirate trajectory” — plundering a system’s resources without being pulled into its gravity
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
05:34 Exploring Hegemony in Technology
08:28 The Nature of Technology and Trust
11:18 The Concept of Neutrality in Technology
14:17 Understanding Tools, Totems, and Totalities
17:03 The Impact of Totalities on Technology
19:53 Women Founders and Systemic Challenges
22:59 Alternatives in Technology: Blue Sky
25:54 Profitability and Societal Progress
34:38 Measuring Societal Benefit and Design Value
37:52 Identity-Shaping Technology and Brand Influence
41:12 Addiction to Technology and Design Principles
44:59 Conviviality and Sustainable Technology
48:48 The Challenge of Perspective in Corporate Culture
52:07 Building Support Networks for Founders
55:45 Designing for Creativity and Imagination
Connect with Christine Miller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-z-miller-ph-d-b4735350/
Order her book Tools, Totems, and Totalities: The Modern Construction of Hegemonic Technology
On Amazon
On Bol
🎧 Listen to Women Disrupting Tech on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
👉 Subscribe for more conversations on building tech that empowers, not exploits.