DR2023 Michelle Ou - Let’s make design research more inclusive

Transcript

1. Let’s make
   design
   research more
   inclusive
   Michelle Ou (she/her)
   

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2. Special thanks
   In two year, across 10+ design research projects, I engaged with
   200+ people from community
   • People with disability
   • Neurodiverse
   • LGBTQ+
   • First Nations
   • People of colour
   • English as a second language speakers
   2
   

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3. Today
   The nuances of
   inclusive design
   research
   What inclusive
   research looks
   like in practice
   How to convince
   people about
   inclusive design
   research
   Where to from
   here?
   3
   

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4. The nuances of
   inclusive design
   research
   

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5. Inclusive design
   Design that considers the full range of human diversity with
   respect to ability, age, gender, language, sexual orientation
   and all other forms of human difference
   Inclusive design research uses the same
   • Methods
   • Process as a researcher
   • Approach depends on context
   Design research
   Inclusive design research
   Common
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6. The main difference
   Inclusive design research focuses on
   investigating exclusion /
   mismatch
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7. Design is much more likely to
   be the source of exclusion
   than inclusion
   “
   ”
   Kat Holmes
   Author of Mismatch: How
   Inclusion Shapes Design
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8. Who experiences the most
   difficulty with what you’re
   researching?
   Whose perspectives have never been included in the past?
   Why?
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9. Edge users
   People who experience the
   most difficulty with a product,
   service, place, policy, process
   THE CONCEPT OF EDGE
   • Centre: People who the design works for
   • ‘Mediocre’ Middle: People who can use
   the design but it’s difficult to use
   • Edge: People who can’t use the design
   THE
   DESIGN
   WORKS
   FOR ME
   9
   

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10. Example: Mapping the edge
    Who do
    these
    stairs work
    for?
    • Can walk up and
    down steps without
    pain or discomfort
    • Have good stamina
    • Not afraid of
    heights
    • Seniors with
    weaker joints and
    less agility
    • Cane, walking
    frame or crutches
    users
    • Parents with prams
    and small children
    or pregnant
    • Holding heavy
    items e.g., bike
    • Wheelchair users
    • Have trouble with
    balance e.g., inner
    ear or muscular
    conditions
    • Have a heart or
    lung condition
    • Acrophobic (fear of
    heights)
    10
    

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11. Another example
    Scenario
    Participating in an
    online focus group
    People who experience the most difficulty may include
    People who:
    • Don’t have internet or a device that can connect to internet
    • Have never used online conferencing tools
    • Aren’t confident English speakers or readers
    • Can’t stay in one position for long periods of time
    • Can’t see the screen (blind/low vision)
    • Can’t hear the facilitator (deaf/Hard of Hearing)
    • Have trouble understanding or processing new information
    • Have trouble focusing for extended periods of time
    • Have caretaker duties (parents, carers)
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12. It’s not about bell curves
    Edge is not Edge is
    The extreme tails on the edges
    of average on a demographic
    bell curve
    People who experience the
    most mismatch or difficulty with
    what you’re researching
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13. What inclusive
    research looks like
    in practice
    

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14. Inclusive Design doesn't mean you're
    designing one thing for all people. You're
    designing a diversity of ways to participate
    so everyone has a sense of belonging.
    “
    Susan Goltsman
    Founding Principal of MIG, Inc. and co-author
    of Play for All Guidelines and The Inclusive City
    ”
    

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15. Inclusive practice looks like
    Research processes and environments that are
    welcoming and safe for everyone, regardless
    of human difference
    Respect
    human
    differences
    Reduce
    potential
    barriers
    Ask, listen
    and provide
    support
    Build trust
    and
    relationships
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16. Respect human differences
    • Use kind and respectful language
    • Acknowledge different needs
    • Build in flexibility
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17. Reduce potential barriers
    What potential barriers might people
    experience when
    • Accessing the research location?
    • Understanding the research
    information?
    • Using the research equipment?
    • Communicating with the researcher
    and other people?
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18. Ask, listen and provide support
    Make it general practice to include
    “Please let us know if you have any accessibility or other
    requirements for the session.
    We can provide support such as _____.”
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19. Build trust and relationships
    • Culturally appropriate communication
    • Pay people at the beginning
    • Clear exits
    • Ask for feedback about the research experience
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20. How to convince
    people about
    inclusive design
    research
    

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21. The Benefit of Designing for
    Everyone Report statistics
    Inclusively designed products
    and services can
    reach up to 3-4x times
    the intended audience
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22. Maximise research outcomes
    A mismatch for edge
    is likely to be a pain
    point for most
    Get richer insights
    with fewer
    participants
    And find the priority
    areas to solve
    THE
    DESIGN
    WORKS
    FOR ME
    THE
    DESIGN
    WORKS
    FOR ME
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23. Where to from here?
    

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24. My answer
    Every act of
    inclusion
    matters
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25. Beginning steps
    • Include an edge user as part of your cohort
    • Make it easier for people to participate in your research
    • Notice and talk about mismatch
    • De-centre yourself from design and research decisions
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26. We have a responsibility…
    …to enable as many
    people as possible to play a
    part in designing our world.
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27. Thank you 😊
    Let’s talk more
    [email protected]
    /oumichelle
    

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