Chapter 1: Rethinking the Design Process

The initial step towards developing inclusive products lies in reevaluating our design methodologies. As a designer, I was always encouraged to ensure that everyone was included in both the design process and the final outcome. It was essential to create products that could be utilized by all, regardless of temporary or permanent disabilities, or any other barriers.

In this regard, there's never a better time than now to reflect on the fact that creating inclusive products is not merely a trend; it is a vital aspect of the design journey.

"We can't focus on creating 'inclusive' products for those we recognize as excluded; we must also design for those we may not yet be aware of."

Why Does Exclusion in Technology Persist?

Our products typically mirror the demographics of their creators, whose experiences and viewpoints shape the design process. Whether it’s a mobile app for food delivery or a comprehensive smart city framework, the technology that permeates our lives is a reflection of the choices made by designers—our choices. Unfortunately, these decisions can inadvertently lead to inequality and exclusion, even when intentions are pure.

It's important to note that improvements have been made towards enhancing accessibility for individuals with varying physical and cognitive abilities, and the tech sector is beginning to diversify its workforce.

Why Is Inclusivity Important?

Feeling included is a fundamental human requirement—a lesson we all learned during our educational journeys. Inclusivity in technology means ensuring that every individual, irrespective of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ability, or any other characteristic, feels welcomed and valued when engaging with, and contributing to, the product. It’s about dismantling barriers, challenging stereotypes, and cultivating environments that embrace everyone.

Research shows that inclusive tech settings, which bring together individuals from varied backgrounds—different genders, races, ethnicities, cultures, abilities, and socioeconomic statuses—encourage innovation and creativity. This diversity enables the exploration of a broad spectrum of ideas, approaches, and solutions, allowing us to confront assumptions, recognize biases, and yield more effective outcomes.

When our products are developed by diverse teams, we also contribute to bridging the digital divide, ensuring equitable access to technology, education, and career opportunities. By providing a level playing field, inclusivity enhances social and economic mobility, alleviating disparities and promoting fairness in society.

Section 1.1: Designing for Diversity

Understanding user needs and pain points is traditionally the first step in design methodologies, such as design thinking. While I firmly believe that designers should empathize with their target audiences, this approach can sometimes lead to missteps. When we design for a diverse audience with varying abilities, situations, and identities, empathy may not always be the most effective tool. It can be challenging to empathize with someone whose life experiences differ greatly from our own, which can unintentionally bias our perspectives.

To counter this, we should concentrate on designing with marginalized groups rather than for them. Instead of relying solely on empathy, we should adopt a compassionate approach, recognizing these individuals as experts in their own experiences.

We can effectively design with marginalized communities by assembling a more diverse team to work on a product. An inclusive tech environment fosters collaboration among individuals from different backgrounds, enhancing innovation and creativity through the amalgamation of varied perspectives. This diversity allows for the challenging of assumptions, identification of biases, and generation of more comprehensive and effective solutions.

However, we must also place trust in their insights, lived experiences, and viewpoints, allowing them to guide product strategy and development. Leaders and decision-makers should empower these individuals to influence product decisions, rather than merely seeking validation of existing ideas.

Subsection 1.1.1: The Importance of Representation

To foster a sense of belonging, we must actively prevent exclusion at the design system level. I frequently observe that many companies still default to "white male" and "white female" personas in their products. This creates a reference point that is more relatable for some than others, making it significantly harder for minorities to connect with the product.

One strategy to mitigate this issue is to adopt a more diverse array of representative personas or even eliminate demographic information from personas entirely. For example, Oracle has embraced this approach, stating, "Creating solutions that span not just the depth and breadth of the challenges our customers face, but come from our diverse employee base, is core to our DNA." They have recently shifted to using darker skin tones as their standard representation.

Another notable example is Google's decision to label their voice assistants by color, such as "Purple," instead of by the gender the voice may imply, like "American Male."

To adopt these practices broadly, we must ensure that our products do not prioritize certain communities or cultures as a starting point. We also need to avoid any defaults that assume people's identities or compel them to categorize themselves. For instance, we can collaborate with marketing teams to create campaigns that include underrepresented groups, devise forms that refrain from intrusive inquiries, and much more. Sabrina Fonseca's insightful article on designing inclusive forms is a great resource on this topic.

Chapter 2: Making Inclusion a Core Value

The first video, "The ABCs of Inclusive Product Design," explores foundational principles essential for creating products that cater to diverse user needs. It emphasizes the importance of understanding various perspectives and integrating them into the design process.

The second video, "Inclusive Design: The Product and the Process," delves into the procedural aspects of inclusivity in design, highlighting actionable strategies for fostering a more inclusive design environment.

To create a truly inclusive environment, we must normalize inclusion as both a practice and an organizational value. One effective way to do this is by spotlighting and exploring edge cases, which can inspire others and make inclusive design appear more commonplace.

"Amazing things can be discovered when asking the right person. How do you discover that person? You ask everyone."

These norms can be reinforced through the tools and systems we use in our design processes. Viewed through this lens, a design system is fundamentally a method for scaling products and achieving consistent outcomes. To champion diversity and inclusion, the goal we should strive to achieve is to ensure that everyone can access and utilize the product in a way that suits their needs.

We should consistently share best practices and align our efforts with these objectives, for instance, by highlighting case studies that promote inclusivity. Furthermore, we should establish design systems with the same intent, ensuring they facilitate diversity and inclusion.