Nothing for Us, Without Us; Breaking Unconscious Bias in Building Products

Are we really building products that serve everyone, or just a selected few?

As developers, we have responsibility to ensure that our products serve everyone, regardless of their background or identity. However, our unconscious bias often creeps into even the most well-intentioned projects and impacts the way we develop products or engage with communities, leading to unintentional exclusions.

When I first designed a Speech-Text-Analytic app, my focus was to simplify business communication with transcribed audio and valuable insights. However, feedback from the community highlighted it had limitations for diverse users, including those with disabilities who faced inaccurate captions for audio content.

This wake-up call prompted me to improve accessibility and user-friendliness for marginalized groups. And for the same reason, I'm making proactive steps to cater for the marginalized by integrating a feature that recognizes Nigerian native languages.

As tech creators, we have the power to create change, but good intentions alone are not enough. This talk will offer strategies to address unconscious bias in product and community building, while avoiding common pitfalls. Attendees will learn to understand diverse needs & experiences for more inclusive environments.

Transcript

2. About Me Victor Ogunjobi (@chemicopy_) Victor Ogunjobi iCode, iTalkTech ★ Data Scientist ★ Inclusivity Advocate Connect with me
3. Nothing for Us, Without Us; Breaking Unconscious Bias in Building Products October 18, 2023
4. ➔ Understanding Unconscious Bias ➔ The Importance of Inclusivity ➔ Addressing Intersectionality ➔ Identifying and Challenging Bias ➔ Inclusion in Tech: Case Studies ➔ Avoiding Common Pitfalls ➔ Diverse Needs & Experiences ➔ Creating Inclusive Environments Outline ➔ Impact of Inclusion on Product Success ➔ Practical Steps (Strategies) to Address Bias ➔ User-Centric Design: Inclusive Design Principles ➔ Building Inclusive Tech Communities ➔ Role of Leadership in Promoting Inclusion ➔ Inclusion: Beyond the Tech Industry ➔ Key takeaways ➔ Demo: Speech-Text-Analytic app ➔ Q & A
5. What happens when we build products? Spark of Interest
6. Unconscious bias can manifest in various ways, such as favoritism, exclusion, and unequal opportunities. It is important to recognize that everyone has unconscious biases, and they can affect the way we perceive and interact with others. Unconscious bias refers to the automatic and unconscious associations and stereotypes that influence our understanding, actions, and decisions. Understanding Unconscious Bias
7. Understanding Unconscious Bias Understanding and addressing unconscious bias is crucial for creating more inclusive and equitable tech products. In the context of building products, unconscious bias can lead to exclusionary design, limited perspectives, and unequal access. Unconscious bias refers to the biases we hold without being aware of them, which can influence our decisions and actions.
8. • Promotes innovation and creativity • Expands the target audience • Enhances user experience • Fosters a sense of belonging Why Inclusivity Matters – – → Benefits of Inclusive Environments The Importance of Inclusivity
9. The Importance of Inclusivity Creates a more diverse and representative user base Leads to more innovative and impactful products Fosters a sense of belonging and community 1. Increased user satisfaction and engagement 2. Expanded market reach and customer base 3. Enhanced reputation and brand image Why is inclusivity important? Benefits of inclusivity
10. Strategies to tackle bias through intersectionality Intersectionality is the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, gender, and class as they apply to an individual or group, creating overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage. What is intersectionality? Importance of intersectionality Understanding intersectionality is crucial for addressing unconscious bias because it helps us recognize that people have multiple identities and experiences that can intersect and compound the effects of bias. 1. Educate yourself about intersectionality and its impact on bias. 2. Foster inclusive environments that embrace diversity in all its forms. 3. Actively seek diverse perspectives and include marginalized voices in decision-making processes. Addressing Intersectionality
11. Identifying and Challenging Bias • Bias can lead to unfair and unequal treatment of individuals or groups. • It can result in exclusion and marginalization of certain communities. • Bias can limit diversity and hinder innovation. • Challenging bias helps create more inclusive and equitable products and communities. Why is it important to identify and challenge bias?
12. Identifying and Challenging Bias • Educate yourself and your team about unconscious bias and its impact. • Actively seek diverse perspectives and feedback. • Use data-driven decision making to minimize bias in product development. • Create an inclusive and safe environment for open discussions and feedback. Strategies to Identify and Challenge Bias:
13. Inclusion in Tech: Case Studies In this case study, we will explore how a tech company improved the accessibility of their product by involving users with diverse needs in the design process. By incorporating feedback from people with disabilities, they were able to create a more inclusive and user-friendly product. Case Study 1: Product Accessibility In this case study, we will examine how a tech community successfully fostered inclusivity by actively engaging underrepresented groups. By organizing events and initiatives specifically tailored to these groups, they created a more welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and included. Case Study 2: Community Building
14. Ignoring feedback: Actively seek and listen to feedback from underrepresented groups to improve the product. Lack of representation: Ensure diverse perspectives are included in the product development process. Assuming homogeneity: Avoid assuming that all users have the same needs and experiences. Avoiding Common Pitfalls
15. • Recognize that different individuals have different needs and preferences. • Consider factors such as race, gender, age, ability, and cultural background. • Avoid making assumptions or generalizations about users. • Design products and services that cater to a wide range of needs. Diverse Needs & Experiences
16. Building Inclusive Communities Recognize the importance of understanding the diverse needs and experiences of different user groups when developing tech products. Understanding Diverse Needs Addressing Unconscious Bias Implement strategies to identify and address unconscious bias in the design and development process of tech products. Learn how to foster an inclusive environment in tech communities by valuing diverse perspectives and experiences. Creating Inclusive Environments
17. Impact of Inclusion on Product? Products that prioritize inclusion have higher chances of success.
18. 1 2 3 Create a culture of inclusivity by fostering diverse perspectives, promoting open communication, and providing equal opportunities. Conduct user research to understand diverse needs and experiences and incorporate them into product design and development. Educate yourself and your team about unconscious bias and its impact on product development and community building. Practical Steps (Strategies) to Address Bias 1 2 3
19. User-Centric Design: Inclusive Design Principles Key Principles of Inclusive Design • Consider diverse user needs and experiences • Avoid assumptions and stereotypes • Prioritize accessibility and usability • Promote inclusivity through representation and diversity
20. Building Inclusive Tech Communities Building inclusive tech communities is important because it creates a positive and supportive environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. It fosters diversity, promotes innovation, and leads to better products and solutions. Inclusive tech communities provide opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and learning from diverse perspectives. They attract a wider talent pool, improve employee satisfaction and retention, and contribute to a more equitable and inclusive industry. Why is it important? Benefits of inclusive tech communities
21. 1 2 3 By championing diversity and inclusion, leaders can create a culture that values diverse perspectives and experiences. Leaders should actively work to address unconscious bias within their teams. Leadership plays a crucial role in setting the tone for inclusive environments. Role of Leadership in Promoting Inclusion 1 2 3
22. Expanding Inclusion Beyond Tech Inclusion is crucial for creating diverse and representative environments that value and respect the needs and experiences of all individuals. Why is Inclusion Important? Benefits of Inclusion Inclusion: Beyond the Tech Industry Inclusive environments foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration, leading to better products and services that cater to a wider range of users. Inclusion should extend beyond the tech industry to all aspects of society, including education, healthcare, government, and more, to ensure equal opportunities for all individuals.
23. Key Takeaways Addressing unconscious bias is crucial for building inclusive tech products and communities. Understanding diverse needs and experiences is essential for creating more inclusive environments. Avoiding common pitfalls can help in breaking unconscious bias in product development and community building. Continuously educate yourself on unconscious bias and its impact on product development. Implement inclusive design practices to ensure products meet the needs of diverse users. Create opportunities for diverse voices to be heard and included in decision-making processes. Regularly evaluate and address bias in product development and community building efforts. Key Takeaways Next Steps
24. Demo: Speech-Text-Analytic app✨
25. Thank you for listening!