UX Blind Spots: Overcoming inherent bias in design
I’m the youngest of 5 children. Growing up, hand-me-down clothing made up the majority of my wardrobe. My pants were often too big and too long, my shirts sometimes looked like dresses and I had shoes that make me feel like a clown. The clothes usually did the job, but they weren’t a perfect fit.
Visual communication has a cultural origin like law and politics, their success depends on a common understanding shared by the large majority of a society. Visual languages and design systems form an important common language, but we are copying bias not only in the products we make but in the way we make them. There is a danger that we are not challenging what the impact this adoption has on our users and industries.
Are we working smart or creating hand-me-down digital experiences?
A stranger in the mirror
South Africans are used to being portrayed as we are perceived by the outside world: impoverished but very happy township residents, serious game rangers or caricatured mercenaries. Clumsy judgements from outsiders are easily dismissed.
Everyone has blind spots. They are our mind’s way of protecting us from information overload — and it takes a big shake to make us focus our attention on what we push to the periphery.
For example, thirty minutes into Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium I grew uncomfortable as I was forced into a realisation: namely how the gap between the people of earth and the fortunate citizens of luxurious Elysium, was an analogy of the average township resident and the wealthy suburbanite. The subtle observations of an insider stung.
When something disturbs us we look away. We try to ignore it. It is a coping mechanism that is necessary to survive. We tell ourselves we are powerless to change anything because the problem is just too big. Blind spots are emotional calluses that form to cope with harsh reality.
Such biases can be used to manipulate and control. They are triggers and can be used as bait to lure and distract people from a course of action. During the 2017 US presidential election, fake news was used to manipulate the American voters. During Apartheid the government used tribalism to stir political tension.
The first democratic elections of 1994. The Rugby World Cup in 1995. The Cricket World Cup of 1999. The FIFA World Cup of 2010. Such moments shattered the social, economic, cultural and political barriers in South Africa. We showed the world and ourselves that we can break free of our self-imposed limitations. Blind spots can be removed, provided we’re willing to do it.
Grow up and go it alone
The apps and devices we buy in South Africa were designed for a different ecosystem. What was designed for the middle class in first-world countries is often a premium product in developing countries like South Africa.
South Africa’s social and political ecosystem is abstract, there is a clash between our industrialized city centers like Johannesburg or Pretoria and the rest of the country which is largely rural. We have recently emerged from half a century of calculated and government orchestrated segregation. We are still discovering our own identity as a nation and there is no template we can adopt to help us get there quickly.
At best, the products and services we design will only superficially take into account the needs of the average South African. One of the strengths of user centered design is that we target our most likely users and focus on their needs. Unfortunately, the pool of South Africans who are likely to use digital products is limited — and we’re competing in a crowded market. It’s in our best interest as business people to understand that digital literacy and increased access to data for the majority of South Africans is an investment in our own futures.
We have our own needs, limitations and opportunities. That means we should be tailoring solutions for ourselves. The rest of the world has absolutely no idea how to solve our unique problems.
The race to the starting line
I recall a TV ad for the Comrades Marathon (South Africa’s most grueling road race). It depicted a runner jogging through the streets of South Africa, and ends with him reaching what we assume is the finish line. In reality, the runner had merely arrived at the starting line. In our world this scenario equates to us, our users — and our competitors — facing the considerable challenge of merely reaching the starting line.
The barriers we create — whether intentionally or not — have to be overcome by users, because of assumptions that we make in our design process. The most consistent lesson I’ve learnt from user testing is how wrong my assumptions can be. The best insights come from direct experience. These can’t be learned, but they can be captured.
