Small choices, big impact: Discussing how tech can open up a more inclusive future

We recap our recent Zalando x Figma panel, where we discussed how the digital products we design and build can influence a more inclusive future, and what it means to advocate for diversity and inclusion at a tech organization.

Great changes often start with small conversations among people who care. Zalando and Figma’s recent collaborative panel event united experts from different corners of the tech industry through their shared passion for diversity and inclusion. The strong audience engagement made it clear that this is a subject close to people’s hearts.

‘Small choices, big impact’ was the theme of the panel, opening up the multifaceted topic of diversity and inclusion (D&I) within the tech industry — both customer and employee-facing. We discussed how to bring change-making power to the people rather than solely relying on reform from the top down, agreeing that both approaches have their benefits. The bigger picture might feel hard to influence. However, the discussion highlighted that we all carry a puzzle piece. By taking personal accountability and by standing for what we believe in, we, as individuals, can already make a difference.

“When approaching a really big topic, it can be hard to figure out how to make an impact,” reflects Maree Hamilton (she/her), Content Design Manager at Zalando, the panel’s moderator and co-organizer. “But when we start to break it down, thinking about smaller patterns in projects or the way we interact with each other or create culture, that’s when we feel we have some agency over it.”

After the panel topic of diversity and inclusion emerged from the shared values of Zalando and Figma, Maree came up with the theme of the discussion. The aim of the panel was to share knowledge among the wider community so that we can fuel progress together. Maree was also a great fit for moderator, having been a part of various D&I-related initiatives during her four years at Zalando, including our employee resource group, the Diversity Guild.

Maree teamed up with Mareike Busche (she/her), Senior Director Dach & CEE at Figma, and with Zalando’s DesignOps team to organize the event. “Zalando and Figma build products for everyone, not only for the majority,” says Sergei Puchkin (he/him), Senior DesignOps Manager at Zalando. “We also support a culture of acceptance in teams that helps to achieve great results. I believe we managed to raise a meaningful discussion with the external design community that will continue beyond the panel.”

“While one person can’t change the world,” Mareike wrote afterwards on LinkedIn, “I have the firm conviction that we all can initiate change when we focus on our own circle of influence. Hence even just giving space, time, and resources — no matter the scope — has a tangible impact that can grow.”

The team invited four tech experts to participate in the panel, each with an area of deep knowledge within diversity and inclusion: Morgane Dalberge (she/they), Sourcing and Recruitment Expert at The Allyance; Sebastian Metel (he/him), Designer Advocate at Figma; Pras Gunasekera (he/him), Senior Lecturer, Interaction Design at CODE University of Applied Sciences Berlin; and Lana Criggs (she/they), Head of Design for Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion at Zalando. “When I introduced them before the event, they immediately hit it off,” Maree shares. “It all happened so naturally. All I had to do was bring them together for a conversation to start.”

What small choices could we all start making to influence D&I in the tech industry? Here are five impactful action points that came out of the panel.

Design with someone instead of for someone

One of the best ways to create inclusive products is to include the people we are designing for in the process. This mindset was core to Adaptive Fashion at Zalando, summarized in one of the product team’s experience principles, ‘Nothing about us without us’. During the panel, Pras, from his perspective as an educator, and Morgane, as a recruiter, highlighted how creating a diverse and inclusive culture within an organization leads to better products. However, they both expressed that, though the tech industry is advancing in that regard, it still has a long way to go.

Lana — who co-authored Zalando’s D&I strategy — added that the diversity dimensions we may be mindful of during hiring might differ from those that matter to our customers. For example, the diversity of body sizes in fashion. “It is really important that we create an inclusive and equitable culture, but that we also go beyond to apprentice ourselves in the communities that we serve so that we can serve them well.”

In her reflections on the panel, Mareike summed it up brilliantly: “Design with someone instead of for someone. By switching out one simple word, we can change a whole system and become genuinely inclusive in our mission to build the best possible products.”

Build accountability through ongoing dialogue

Good intentions don’t always result in good outcomes. Beyond striving for diversity and inclusion within our projects and organizations, how do we know we are doing the right thing? How do we hold ourselves accountable for our choices? A term that came up several times during the panel is ‘design justice.’ The design approach, led by underrepresented communities, challenges structural inequalities by working closely with community-based organizations.

“There is something to be said about the role of the designer as a facilitator,” Lana noted. “Design justice acknowledges that the people and communities we serve are the experts. They have lived experiences we can learn from. Universal design seeks solutions that address underrepresented groups but that also cater to others. For example, a slanted curbside benefits wheelchair users but also people carrying a trolley or pushing a pram. In contrast to this, design justice seeks solutions that address underrepresented groups simply because it’s the right thing to do.”

Pras believes the design justice approach benefits all customers. “When we open up our processes and design with underrepresented groups, naturally, the outcomes we develop will be better and respond to a broader community.”

Design justice doesn’t stop with including customers in the design process. It is also essential to maintain an ongoing dialogue with continuous feedback loops. Another layer of accountability can be found on the organizational level. Lana highlighted The Valuable 500, a network of 500 companies working together to further disability inclusion by creating accountability and sharing learnings.

Switch the narrative

While something may be right, its viability from a business perspective has to also come into consideration. In the numbers-driven echelons of our organizations, how do we counter a “Yes, but” with a solid proposition? Mareike asked the panelists to give their advice on how to get the attention of CEOs and get D&I initiatives on the agenda in a fast-paced business world.

Morgane had a great answer: “Allyship has to involve everyone in the company, including HR, high-level management, and the board. But the argument that convinces the board will be different from the one that convinces HR. The board will respond to business arguments, economics, performance, and profit. HR will respond to humans and law quotas. Driving change has to start with the people and continue through the people until it becomes a corporate policy.”

To initiate change in an organization where there is little top-down support, Mareike suggests “talking about the opportunities an initiative would create to offset the initial investment or arising costs. That could be anything from being able to hire the best possible talent to positive brand perception and, yes, even profit margins.”

If you can’t change it, reframe it

How can we begin to change a system that seems unchangeable? Sebastian gave the example of binary design within e-commerce, specifically the categorization of men’s and women’s products. The binary is difficult to address from a technical perspective because it is built into the very foundations of the system. “Maybe we don’t have to change it,” he suggested, “but just change how we frame it.”

Reflecting on the discussion, Maree related her experience from one of her first projects as a Content Designer at Zalando. “When customers registered for an account back then, there was a gender question with only two answers. Because of the tech stack, it was not possible to add a third answer because it would potentially break the system further down the customer journey. One of my colleagues proposed we ask for the customer’s fashion preference instead. Of course, it is not the ideal solution. But acknowledging that fashion is a very binary space, we can start to shift the landscape by decoupling preference from identity.”

To reframe something, we must first look at it through different lenses. Pras gave us food for thought with a pertinent question: “How might applying the lenses of underrepresented communities change our design languages?”

Rethink your workflow

One audience member asked what small changes individual contributors can make to their workflow to impact diversity and inclusion. Sebastian suggested reevaluating the parameters of a finished product. “If your definition of done does not include points on accessibility or disability inclusion, for example, then changing your practice to consider them will lead to you designing better products in the long run.”

Lana added that rather than only striving for compliance, these points should reflect what is helpful for customers (informed by existing in-depth customer research and accessibility guidelines). “There are moments both in the design and the delivery of impact where inclusion can be anchored. For example, in the Zalando design community, we created and brought in accessibility lenses to our customer personas, tried Figma plug-ins, and defined accessibility guidelines and checklists as well as an accessibility specifications template. This anchoring might look a little different from one company to another, but there is also a lot already out there we can apply. For example, the European Accessibility Act will be introduced in June 2025. Therefore, now is high time to start reading and implementing the web content accessibility guidelines. It’s the right thing to do, but now it is also the required thing to do.”

Having been continually engaged with D&I during her seven years at Zalando, Lana has seen what approaches make a difference on the community level. She says that having concrete commitments in place — defining a comprehensive strategy and experience principles — galvanized the efforts of the Zalando community, where there was already a wide appetite for the D&I topic. “This way impact is achieved faster because bottom-up support is encouraged and feels worthwhile.”

Key takeaways

Though our panelists all agreed that tech still has much of the mountain to climb when it comes to D&I, their insights can help us all gain more footing within the complex topic. Pras ended the panel on a motivational note, emphasizing the power of design to address social issues. “Design is very practice- and collaboration-based. Social innovation needs great minds to come together and address these problems with communities.”

“What I found interesting about the panel was how it brought together people with different focuses for a comprehensive conversation,” says Lana. “We mixed academia and the business world, not to mention the diversity of backgrounds, identities, and expressions on the panel. The panel itself was an example of how diversity has to come hand-in-hand with inclusion. Maree did a great job, not just of moderating engagingly, but also ensuring the panel felt as inclusive and welcoming as possible.”

What small choices are you making to build more inclusive products? Do you have any experiences to share about successful D&I initiatives in your organization? We would love to hear your perspectives in the comments.

Next, read about the experience principles behind Adaptive Fashion at Zalando and how they cultivated shared values across multiple teams.