Summary
Often times our design principles become a propped-up trophy that we're proud of but never truly use. Or we don't even realize this trophy may be dusty and needs some cleaning up. This ideology could be applied to our design principles or design process, and hinder us from creating a more updated practice that is inclusive and equitable for our teams to interact with, understand, and improve our products. The very practice and values that our teams live by should be embedded with inclusion and equity at the forefront of what we do, not the end. This talk is meant to help reimagine what an Inclusive design practice could look like for you and your teams, in hopes that you'll be able to walk away with a framework or awareness of a streamlined practice that's conducive to a diverse team. As an Equity-Centered UX Strategist, I collaborate with Design teams to ensure we're building toward a more equitable practice that's foundational and not faulty.
Key Insights
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Despite a spike in DEI roles in 2020, many were laid off by 2022-2023, signaling performative rather than sustained commitment.
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Performative equity includes actions like hiring DEI leaders without meaningful support or simply checking boxes (e.g., land acknowledgements without integration).
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Inclusive design is often misunderstood as only accessibility or a checklist rather than a deep, interpersonal, and systemic practice.
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Assigning inclusive design to a single team risks burnout and fails to embed accountability across the organization.
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True inclusive design requires diverse representation with intersecting identities and valued lived experience aligning to the target audience.
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Embedding inclusive design into existing design systems and processes with clear checkpoints improves implementation and accountability.
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Offering multiple communication methods ensures introverted and marginalized voices are heard and valued.
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Active listening with follow-through on feedback builds trust and safety essential to inclusion.
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Organizations like Positive Effect and Creative Reaction Lab provide valuable equity-centered design frameworks focusing on relational and systemic issues.
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Leadership inclusion must be ongoing and integrated into high-impact decision-making beyond just symbolic representation moments.
Notable Quotes
"Performative equity occurs when an organization advocates for DEI but takes no practical action."
"Inclusive design is about unraveling historical inequities baked into products and policies, not just ticking a box."
"Land acknowledgement without embedding it into practice is just performative."
"It’s not just about the product experience; employee experience must coincide to be truly inclusive."
"Lived experience is richer and deeper than just technical knowledge from textbooks."
"You can’t move along the design process unless you get approval on inclusive design checkpoints."
"Who is not in the room is the first question we should ask."
"Intersectionality shows how layers of race, ethnicity, class, and language collide with power and privilege."
"The same people on equity projects repeatedly leads to burnout and limits diverse perspectives."
"Good design ops cannot be executed without inclusive design at the center."
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