Cultural bias in design(ers) — Design & Content 2018

In Zimbabwean Shona culture, we expect and live with unequal distribution of power in society. Less powerful members of social groups expect to not have a voice or option in many situations.

I had no idea that this was a thing, or that it would matter in my work. Until my first design job at an agency in London. I failed to collaborate and co-design with team members who I thought of as senior. I even found myself unable to conduct user interviews with people I thought of as senior. These failures messed up the project and in the end, I got fired.

This talk is for designers from non-western cultures and the teams who work with them. People from different cultures can bring viewpoints that make our product more inclusive. But, they may also bring cultural biases that impact the way we work together on the said product.

The talk has 2 main focus areas: * What is cultural bias is and why are people from certain parts of the world more likely to have certain biases. I’ll share stories of real teams and individuals affected by cultural bias. * Practical tips for anticipating, identifying and adapting to cultural bias in the way we work. From hiring to induction, critique, research, presentation and more. I’ll look at ways to work better with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. This, so that they can be their best selves and help us make inclusive product experiences.

Transcript

1. Peace! Call me Farai.
2. Cultural bias in design(ers) Farai Madzima UX Lead at Shopify @farai_uxguy Can being African make me bad at design?
3. Source: Sarah Lee
5. Source: David Lobosco
6. Dizzy Gillespie Source: Herman Leonard
7. Louis armstrong Source: Jurgen Schadenburg
8. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb2w2m1J
9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXSjJBKPyFg Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXSjJBKPyFg
11. Miles Davis Source: Chris Cameron
12. Take your sh*t from home Put that with the sh*t you’ve learned here That’s gonna be a muthaf*cka
14. Diversity of thought
16. Perspectives (Meanings, attitudes, values, ideas)
17. Perspectives (Meanings, attitudes, values, ideas) Practices (Patterns of social interaction) Products (Books, tools, foods, laws, music, games) Culture
19. Geerte Hofstede Source: Gert Jan Hofstede
20. Power distance Individualism Feminine / Masculine Uncertainty avoidance Long-term orientation Restraint / Indulgence Hierarchical Egalitarian Individualist Collectivist Power seeking Nurturing Ambiguity creates anxiety Comfortable with ambiguity Long term first Short term first Happiness always good Happiness can be bad https://www.hofstede-insights.com/models/national-culture/
21. “cultural factors influence the individual behind his back, without their knowledge.” —— Edward T. Hall
22. Dr. Erin Meyer Source: Unknown
24. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading
25. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Top-down Consensual
26. Consensual Top-down Consensual Decisions are made in groups through unanimous agreement. Top-down Decisions are made by individuals, (usually the boss or hippo). Deciding Sweden US UK France Nigeria Kenya Zimbabwe Canada India Japan Brazil From The culture map by Erin Meyer
27. Agree on how you want to decide
28. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Top-down Consensual Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Application first Principles first
29. Principles first Application first Principles first Start with the theory or concept. Then present the facts to back it up. Application first Start with the facts. Then share the theory that leads to the facts. Persuading Sweden US UK France Nigeria Kenya Zimbabwe Saudi Arabia Canada India From The culture map by Erin Meyer
30. From The culture map by Erin Meyer
31. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Top-down Consensual Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Application first Principles first High context Low context
32. Low context High context Low context Good communication is precise, simple and clear. Repetition is used to clarify. High context Good communication is nuanced and layered. Speak and read between the lines. Communicating Sweden US UK France Nigeria Kenya Zimbabwe Saudi Arabia Canada India Japan Brazil From The culture map by Erin Meyer
34. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Top-down Consensual Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Application first Principles first High context Low context Avoids confrontation Confrontational
35. Confrontational Avoids confrontation Confrontational Disagreement and debates are positive for the team. Open confrontation is appropriate and will not negatively affect relationships. Avoids confrontation Disagreement and debates are negative for the team. Open confrontation will break group harmony and negatively affect the relationship. Disagreeing US UK France Nigeria Kenya Zimbabwe Saudi Arabia Canada India Japan Brazil From The culture map by Erin Meyer
36. Sachlichkeit
37. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Top-down Consensual Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Application first Principles first High context Low context Avoids confrontation Confrontational Indirect negative feedback Direct negative feedback
38. Direct negative feedback Indirect negative feedback Direct negative feedback Feedback is frank, blunt, and honest at all times, even in front of the team. Indirect negative feedback Feedback is soft, subtle, and diplomatic and only given private. Evaluating Sweden US UK France Nigeria Kenya Zimbabwe Saudi Arabia Canada India Japan Brazil From The culture map by Erin Meyer
39. Skill up your team on the method you want to use for critique
42. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Top-down Consensual Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Application first Principles first High context Low context Avoids confrontation Confrontational Indirect negative feedback Direct negative feedback Hierarchical Egalitarian
43. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Top-down Consensual Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Application first Principles first High context Low context Avoids confrontation Confrontational Indirect negative feedback Direct negative feedback Hierarchical Egalitarian Relationship-based Task-based
44. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Top-down Consensual Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Application first Principles first High context Low context Avoids confrontation Confrontational Indirect negative feedback Direct negative feedback Hierarchical Egalitarian Flexible-time Linear-time Relationship-based Task-based
45. Scheduling Persuading Deciding Top-down Consensual Disagreeing Evaluating Trusting Communicating Leading Application first Principles first High context Low context Avoids confrontation Confrontational Indirect negative feedback Direct negative feedback Hierarchical Egalitarian Flexible-time Linear-time Relationship-based Task-based
49. “Culture hides more than it reveals and strangely enough, what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants.” —— Edward T. Hall
50. Hugh Source: Sarah Lee
51. Know our communicating sh*t Know our deciding sh*t Know our disagreeing sh*t Know our evaluating sh*t Know our leading sh*t Know our persuading sh*t Know our scheduling sh*t Know our trust sh*t Put that with the sh*t we learn wherever we go And that’s gonna be a muthaf*cka
52. Peace! Call me Farai. @farai_uxguy @letspixelup faraimadzima.com pixelup.co.za @sourceup sourceup.co.za