Circles of Success: Building Products for Equity and Inclusion
TrailblazerDX (TDX) takes place on April 27–28, 2022, at Moscone Center West in San Francisco. Register for design sessions and connect with us at Camp Design!
Ayesha McAdams-Mahmoud and Kim Campbell believe that when we make products and experiences that are more equitable, accessible, and inclusive, everybody wins. They are passionate about centering people’s core needs in the development of any technological solution. Ayesha and Kim will be leading the Circles of Success session Building Products for Equity and Inclusion at TDX.
TDX is the annual Salesforce event for anyone developing or designing on the platform. Learn how to create experiences that build trust, usability, and adoption. Register now!
Salesforce Design (SD): How did you get into UX research?
Ayesha McAdams-Mahmoud (AM): I’ve been a researcher for 15 years. I’ve spent most of my time focused on the social and mental well-being of marginalized communities both domestically and abroad. I got into UX research in 2019 because I wanted to explore research that’s intently focused on ideating solutions instead of academically documenting and analyzing the nuances of problems.
Kim Campbell (KC): My path to research was unconventional. While doing a social enterprise fellowship in Hyderabad, India, I led a research effort that helped ed-tech providers understand how Hyderabadi communities from under-resourced areas made purchasing decisions about educational technology for their children. This work launched my deep passion for applied research in technology and gave me a front seat to the importance of centering people’s core needs in the development of any technological solution. When I returned to the States, I discovered Salesforce, a company that not only gave me the opportunity to center users in our product development and design, but also embodies the values of trust, equality, and inclusion that have always been important to me.
SD: What do you wish more people appreciated about the value of design?
AM: One of my favorite designers, Justina Blakeney, says: “I believe that good design increases the quality of life.” I agree with her. Having studied ways community design can increase well-being, there’s no question in my mind that the digital communities we curate for Salesforce users can either make their lives very simple or unnecessarily complex.
KC: I think people often take for granted two critical things in design: intention and impact. The placement, shape, color, and construction of things around us, tools we use, apps we rely on have big impacts on our behavior, how we spend our time, and even our mood. Design may seem like an aesthetic addition to more “substantial” elements of a product, but it is the gateway to our interaction with our material world. It’s very important to our daily experience and I’d love to see more people appreciate the impact of design. I think people should also remember that design is intentional. That it is a series of decisions that people are making. This is important because if a system, space, or tool is having a negative impact on the people using it, there is an opportunity for us to make different decisions and shift the intention around what we make.
SD: In the simplest terms, what’s the focus of your TDX session?
KC: Our TDX session is about sharing best practices for incorporating principles of equity and inclusion into product design.
SD: What key points do you hope audiences will get from your TDX session and why is that important to you?
AM: We want our audience to understand:
- The Build for All community-centered approach
- Build for All’s actionable principles
- How they might apply our principles in their work
- Receive new tools to help them take inclusive action and measure its impact
SD: How do you think this will help people do their work better or collaborate better?
AM: As Kat Holmes, SVP of Product Design and UX at Salesforce, says, “Inclusive product design is a methodology that enables and draws on the full range of human diversity.” It helps us include and learn from people with a range of perspectives. And in terms of business value, by attending to the needs of the most marginalized customers, we create a product experience that satisfies the most market demand.
SD: How has design helped you build relationships with customers, co-workers, or communities?
AM: Good design is a relational sport; it is entirely dependent on community. It requires us to respect and combine the expertise of dozens of teams so we can co-create solutions. In that way, it’s gifted me with greater awareness of my humble role in a grand community of makers.
KC: As a researcher, design has helped me get closer to communities because it requires deep listening. I love the opportunity to create experiences that enable our teams to build products WITH our customers and to really capture and communicate the power of their experiences with our products. Design is also at the core of the collaboration I enjoy with my co-workers. By being the person who helps translate user needs into recommendations, I get to be a problem-solver in partnership with my design and product colleagues.
SD: What do you love about being a UX researcher at Salesforce?
AM: As a researcher, I love any chance I get to reflect the needs of our users and help re-imagine their experiences with some of the most talented colleagues I’ve ever met.
KC: I love creatively building with people, solving problems, listening deeply, and making things that are part of people’s daily work lives.
Eager to learn more about what Ayesha and Kim have in store at TrailblazerDX? Register today to attend on April 27–28 in San Francisco.
Salesforce Design is dedicated to elevating design and advocating for its power to create trusted relationships with users, customers, partners, and the community. We share knowledge and best practices that build social and business value. We call this next evolution of design Relationship Design. Join our Design Trailblazers community, become a certified UX designer, or work with us!
