Choosing what to write about here from any given day at SXSW is proving difficult. I could have written about, (and still might); seeing my brain activity live, full haptic bodysuits, the latest trends in wellness, (basically everything has CBD in it now), attending a live recording of ‘The Vergecast’ discussing breaking up the big tech companies, seeing two people I deeply respect, Tim Ferriss and Micheal Pollan, speak, and discovering a love of zooming around town on electric scooters, (along with the rest of Austin, it seems.)
But the standout of the day for me came from, Tanarra Schneider, Studio Lead and Managing Director at Fjord, on ‘Closing the Digital Divide by Designing for Social Impact’, or as she re-framed the talk, ‘How Not to Design, in Four Parts’. For those of us designing products, services and experiences there were some invaluable lessons, which I’ll do my best to summarise and unpack.
When we design anything that touches another human, we have a fundamental responsibility for the impact we have. Going in with good intentions is necessary, but not sufficient. We must do everything we can to manage impact. Tanarra’s four themes to help solve for this were.
- Mind your edges – When we focus on designing only for the ‘middle’, the 80% of users who represent a ‘typical’ interaction, we miss both our obligation to user minorities, but also the opportunity to learn something that could benefit everyone.We must also consider the fact that the beneficiary of our product or service may not be the ultimate beneficiary — medical equipment used by caregivers on behalf of patients, for instance.
We ultimately don’t know all the ways in which a product or service may be used, so it’s helpful to test at the extremes.
Designing for a static persona or the person you think of as your primary customer is fundamentally flawed. Designing for ‘mindsets’ is far more helpful as it recognises that an individual will change over time and context. I would suggest thinking of this shifting concept as a ‘state’ could also be helpful as it incorporates the physical as well as the mental.
- Swoop & poop – Many companies take on pro-bono work designing for groups and individuals without considering how their good intentions could have unintended consequences. For example, if all you’re doing is delivering strategy and design, consider the potential problems with execution by individuals who lack the experience and resources. So think about your investment strategy, your commitment to seeing projects like this through if you decide to commit. Do a future-spective and dig into all the potential unintended negative consequences of your involvement.
- You’re a tool – To some extent, we all use tools and technology to help us understand the people we are designing for. Perhaps for the sake of ease and convenience, or maybe from a place of fear if you’re dealing with a sensitive topic or working in a dangerous environment. However, the more we put technology between us and the people we are trying to empathise with, the harder that job becomes and, ultimately, the worse the impact.
- #STAYWOKE babies – When designing for a community, ensure the people you send to speak and empathise with the end user reflect them as much as possible. In the example Tanarra gave, don’t send a group of privileged, white, male designers to talk with a group of black mothers. Bring in contractors if you don’t have the staff, preferably ones who have hyper-local context — people who understand the language, stories and rituals of a community.
In the light of the dystopian view of the future that ran through the sessions yesterday, this message couldn’t be more important. The people designing the future must take care to design for everyone and design well.