How UX can be Socially Conscious in 2019
With each passing day, technology is making the world a smaller place, enabling us to create virtual communities that span continents. As designers of technology, we need to ensure that these filters that people see the world through are egalitarian and inclusive, that the product/service/app we create is both socially responsible and oriented towards business goals.
UX designers are constantly influencing perceptions and shaping thinking and with this great power comes great responsibility.
UX designers are constantly influencing perceptions and shaping thinking and with this great power comes great responsibility. At Redd, we will continue to measure ourselves by how inclusive the user experiences we design are in the coming year.
Designing for Privacy
The importance of data and privacy is greater than ever before in this hyper-connected world. The implementation of GDPR laws in Europe highlight this very fact. While these laws don’t apply to India and other proposals like the Srikrishna committee report are yet to gain acceptance, the team at Redd has endeavoured to adopt practices that protect user privacy. Following strict data privacy practices also has the added benefit of allowing Indian start-ups to expand in Europe without major changes to the design of their systems.
Inclusive Design
Digital technology can take steps to accommodate for users with disabilities, be it colour blindness, haptic inabilities or other such conditions and be more inclusive. Designing for inclusivity enables people with diverse characteristics to use a product in a variety of different environments. This is important because it enables numerous ways in which people can participate in an experience. In 2019, Redd will be striving to advance inclusion in digital experiences.
Design for Awareness
At Redd, we believe that design can redefine what’s normal or accepted. The history of design is replete with examples of how it has affected ideas about gender, race, sexual orientation and culture. As self-aware designers, for example, when we’re designing a registration flow, we take an inclusive view and list three genders instead of two or if we require a parent’s name in a form, we make it a point to state “Parent’s name” instead of “Father’s name” as is so often done. Furthermore, we propose workflows to our clients that are environmentally friendly, such as “pick up from a store”, “deliver when all the items are available” or “don’t include packaging” that help reduce environmental pollution. The ability to be conscious and include these options also have an effect on consumer perception as they are more likely to stay loyal to a brand that demonstrates social responsibility.
Emotive Mapping
There are many variables in user testing that lead to biased results, two of which are the dominant voice syndrome and observer bias. Emotive mapping aims to measure the user’s emotions using brain waves by placing a headband on the user’s temples. The unbiased quantitative results tell us the visual, intellectual, motor and memory load the user is undergoing at any given point of the test. This makes it more effective than ever and vastly more insightful to detect problems in UX design, but more importantly, it lets us see the real data without the filter of our own biases or those of the researcher.
Diversity in Content
Inclusion is guaranteed to expand a product’s reach and also triggers innovation and growth. Whether we use photos, videos or are generating content for a website or product, Redd ensures that we incorporate diversity in representation early on in the design process. This position of social responsibility also means that we are careful with the words that are used in a brand’s website or app’s content, especially when it comes to language that we use to refer to groups and/or people.
There are innumerable ways to help make the world a better place with UX. Since Redd believes in building experiences that are valuable and lasting, our designs in the coming year will be about making our lives better, one user experience at a time.
— Sharan Grandigae, Founder and CEO of Redd Experience Design
