š Meetup Notes: Who is at the table? Co-design methods and learnings with Sepideh Shahi, Cheryl Li and Dana Ayotte
Part 2 of our meetup live-blog from Inclusive UX Research: The Inclusive Design Research Centre team talks co-design
Our second talk of the night is with Sepideh Shahi, Cheryl Li and Dana Ayotte of the Inclusive Design Research Centre.
Who is giving this talk?
- Sepideh Shahi- Senior Inclusive Designer at the IDRC
- Cheryl Li- Inclusive Designer at the IDRC
- Dana Ayotte- Senior Inclusive Designer at the IDRC (remotely from Vancouver)
What did they have to say?
01. The Inclusive Design Research Centre is:
A research and development centre at OCAD University where an international team of developers, designers and researchers are working together to make emerging tech more inclusive and accessible. š
Rethinking disability and inclusivity
Dana outlined that inclusive design is design that considers the full range of human diversity. Many people have a mental model of disability that focuses more on individuals as patients and in doing so, this creates a disempowering image of people with disabilities. On the opposite end of things, a social model of disability and design describes it as a mismatch between an individualās needs and the environment that they are in. Inclusive design believes that this mismatch is solvable by design! Dana drew a parallel to the following scenario: someone using a bank machine outside on a summer day that canāt see the screen because of the sun. In this moment, there is a mismatch between their needs and the environment. She explained that this analogy is not meant to trivialize disability, it is meant to make clear that the responsibility of solving this mismatch is on the designer, rather than on the individual, to overcome any given barrier.
Inclusive Design Dimensions
Dana outlined that the following tenants are true of inclusive design:
- Recognize and design for human uniqueness
- Use inclusive, open and transparent processes and co-design
- Realize that you are designing in a complex system
02. What is co-design? š¤
Sepideh and Cheryl explained that they like to practice co-design as designers because they are making decisions for people that are not them. The idea behind co-design is: what if we invite the people who are impacted into our design, so that they can shape and mould the outcome of the process?
They explained though, that itās not just about bringing people into the process. At the heart of co-design is ongoing engagement where participants are able to give constant input throughout the entire design process.
Why co-design?
Sepideh and Cheryl explained that co-design:
- Creates more meaningful and equitable participation
- Considers a wider range of unique needs
- Integrates different perspectives at the table
They explained that there are inherent power dynamics in design, both in generative and evaluative research. Co-design is trying to acknowledge this gap by bringing both participants and designers to the same level. They shared that co-design is also a great way to invite people from the margins into design (who, in other processes, would be considered edge cases.)
They shared the following questions that designers should ask during planning of co-design projects:
- Who has difficulty using or canāt use our designs?
- Who is missing from the table?
- How can we make this table more inclusive?
And they outlined two of the most important things to keep in mind when planning a co-design session:
- Whoās going to be a part of the co-design process?
- How do you build trust with them?
03. Who is going to be part of the co-design process?š„
Reaching out
Sepideh and Cheryl explained that any co-design project starts with reaching out to and working with a diverse group of co-designers. Designers recruiting co-design participants have to ask themselves: Who is going to be impacted by our designs the most? Who is impacted by the project, but excluded the most from the process?
Then, for each of these groups one should:
- Search for advocacy groups, communities institutions, and organizations that are involved with these groups
- Contact the identified organizations
- Work with them to define a co-design approach that works for them in their context
- Work with them to identity their logistical needs
- Be flexible to try different approaches suggested by them- they know their community the best
Facilitating inclusively
It is important to facilitate participation from everyone present, whether it be remotely or locally. You can do this through:
- Creating and providing access guides
- Offering co-design materials in alternative formats prior to the event (digital, large print hardcopy, braille)
- Having extra facilitators to provide assistance where needed (building prototypes, taking notes, etc.)
- Integrating translators, ASL interpreters, audio describers, personal assistants, etc.- consider their relationship to the group
Sometimes co-designers emerge from the group and become facilitators themselves. Dana explained that she had an experience in India with a translator who actually emerged from the group to assist with facilitation.
04. How to build trust with your co-designers š
Sepideh explained that while itās important to bring co-designers into the design process, it is equally important to build trust with them. In order for them to share their true feelings with you, they have to trust you and your intentions and this is very difficult.
She expressed that many people that she worked with came from marginalized communities and feel that they are often asked their opinions, but never see the results of their opinion in action or come to fruition. They are tired of seeing designers who use diversity and inclusion as another item or task on their design checklist. They feel like designers just approach them for their time and ideas for free and that they donāt see results. A huge challenge that co-design is facing is that co-designers feel they are not being treated fairly or compensated fairly for their efforts. They donāt see the value and they donāt see how it is going to affect their community.
Here are some strategies that Sepideh outlined to build the trust:
Levelling the playing field
- Be transparent about your projectās opportunities, risks, shortcomings and limitations
- Ask your partners what theyād like to achieve if they were to participate, to promote an equal partnership
- Ask your partners about what their concerns are and what theyād want to see changed
- Clearly discuss their roles, responsibilities, commitment, resources, and compensation
- Collaborate in developing the co-design activities and tailor them to their community needs
- Clearly outline the terms of participation and the ownership of their contributors
- Work with the communities and organizations who are working with marginalized groups to begin to understand their context and experiences
- Through words and action, show that your co-designersā experiences and opinions are valued
- Follow up- share progress reports, final reports, and further co-design opportunities
- Get their feedback- and follow up to communicate how theyāve impacted the process
Thatās the end of the presentation content! The Inclusive Design Research Centre team added links to their slides with resources and ways to connect with them. Find these all below!š
05. Resources & Connecting with the IDRC š»
Catch up on the other talks from the Inclusive UX Research meetup below š
Designing for older adults: What does it mean to you? ā Lia Tsotsos
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