Is software design gender biased? A study on software-design effect on task performance

• Studies confirm software design is gender biased. • The study confirms a significant task performance difference between male and female . • Cognitive Load, Aesthetics, emotional design and usability effect could affect task performance. • Cognitive load and emotional design had the most significant effect on task performance. • Usability effect was found to be insignificant contributor to task performance. Software design is critical to the development of software. However, existing literature highlighted the presence of gender bias in software design, which might be causing differences in task performance between males and females. Supported by theories such as the cognitive load theory, emotional design theory, and the Aesthetic-Usability Effect, this research aims to explore the potential disparities in task performance between males and females. The study developed two tasks using two different software in terms of user friendliness. The study was performed on two groups that possessed comparable educational backgrounds and professional experiences. The investigation encompassed two tasks aimed at evaluating performance in both professional and domestic contexts. Through the application of structural equation modeling and a range of statistical analyses, the study identified disparities among females, including high perception of cognitive load and lack of emotional design. The study emphasizes on the importance of incorporating phycological cognitive differences in design and ensuring inclusive design personas in software design. Addressing the cognitive and emotional aspects of software design will reduce task performance discrepancies and shift the misbelief that task performance discrepancies are attributable to gender-based intellectual differences, rather than deficiencies in software design.