Black People Have Always Been UX Designers : Space-making is an iterative design process

When I learned about UX design, I fell in love immediately. The idea of being able to enhance the experience of users resonated with me in ways I did not fully understand. As I became more immersed into the field, I realized why it felt so much like home. Black people work to enhance the experiences of our community consistently. We fight every single day to design a world where we are seen, heard, and loved. Space-making is an iterative design process, and that is what UX design is about at its core — making space for users by improving usability, accessibility, and desirability.

The user experience design process is generally divided into following 5 phases: Define , User research, Synthesis , Design and Implement. All of which are phases that Black people subconsciously go through when we work to eliminate barriers that exclude us from different facets of society. I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight these parallels.

Phase I: Define

The first phase of user experience design is to define the problem. The problem is something that causes users needs to be unmet.

While the unmet needs of the black community are varying, many of them are rooted in the fact that society does not believe that we deserve to take…