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Ned Potter, profile picture
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Elevating Voices: UX as a tool for equity

Higher Education is facing financial crisis. When budgets tighten, services often shrink to fit the needs of the majority, and ‘maintaining core services’ can easily become a proxy for exclusion. By designing for the ‘typical’ user – those with the fewest barriers and the most flexibility – we inadvertently sideline marginalised groups with complex needs. This User Experience in Libraries keynote positions UX work as an essential tool for equity, with a five point manifesto. We will explore how libraries can represent the under-recognised, elevate diverse perspectives and ensure our institutions remain inclusive, authentic spaces for everyone.

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This presentation is gen ai free #UXLibs Faculty Engagement Manager Community + UX @nedpotter.bsky.social
CURIOSITY EMPATHY +
Live footage of higher education in the uk
2022/23: 6,960 jobs lost 2023/24: 9,290 jobs lost 2024/25: 13,300 jobs lost Times higher education Voluntary redundancy inukUniversities sconul UK Academic libraries in 2024 -25 reducing… Research support: Enquiry services: Student support: Opening hours: Overall budget: 6% 11% 13% 40% 73%
Auxmanifesto for elevating voices
we will recruit for DIVERSIT
Diverse perspectives nourish your data
(in ways it’s impossible to predict until you hear those perspectives from the users) Diverse perspectives nourish your data
(even when you don’t consider your project to be about diversity) Diverse perspectives nourish your data
First come, first served is a huge missed opportunity – and in fact we don’t want a representative sample ether! The goal is not to design for the largest number people; the goal is to design for the largest number of needs.
Even if what you do now is inclusive, you could inadvertently design new solutions that help one group and have a detrimental effect on another, if you don’t their perspective into account.
We need to put ourselves in our user’s shoes. The more shoes we put ourselves in, the more likely those shoes later walk into our building.
If that’s you, fantastic! If it’s not you, you’re lacking crucial insight – and it’s better to get it right the first time than to amend later when you realise your perspective was incomplete. “Companies in the top quartile of racial / ethnic diversity were 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their national industry median” Kinsey report
Recruit via existing networks. Student societies, departmental societies and groups, project groups, recommendations and direct approaches.
major change will always be User informed
In order to practise User Centred Design, we must continually update our understanding of our users.
In each of these examples, we did three rounds of UX fieldwork, with five students in each round. The first round is generative. The second round is prototyping. The third round is evaluative. Three rounds of five
Observation & behavioural mapping (generative) Guerilla interviews (generative / prototyping) >>> single issue surveys (prototyping / evaluative) Co st-free options forux fieldwork
we will proactively FILL THE GAPS in our understanding
A certain amount of discomfort is baked in to this process…
Inclusivity and belonging project AIMING FOR A BETTERUNDERSTANDINGOF, AND THE REMOVAL OF BARRIERS FOR, UNDER- RECOGNISED DEMOGRAPHICS. PARTICULAR FOCUS ON FIRST IN FAMILY STUDENTS,ETHNICALLY MINORITISED STUDENTS, AND STUDENTSWHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA. Phase 1: existingdata (September 2024) Phase 2: ux fieldwork (may 2025) Phase 3: analysis + reporting (January 2026) Phase 1: Existing Data We spoke to as many relevant people as we could across the University. Other professional services (such as Careers), leaders of student-led initiatives such as Black Access, staff working on a longitudinal awards gap study, the University’s Race Equality Co-ordination Group, chairs of Working Class Student Committees, the Student Union, and many, many more.
Inclusivity and belonging project Phase 2: Fieldwork Semi-structured interviews with 13 students, online and in person, preceded by Cognitive Maps or Touchstone Tours. Also participants were recruited directly via committees, networks or recommendations. We were joined at this stage by the Project Manager for the Yorkshire Consortium for Equity in Doctoral Education… AIMING FOR A BETTERUNDERSTANDINGOF, AND THE REMOVAL OF BARRIERS FOR, UNDER- RECOGNISED DEMOGRAPHICS. PARTICULAR FOCUS ON FIRST IN FAMILY STUDENTS,ETHNICALLY MINORITISED STUDENTS, AND STUDENTSWHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA. Phase 1: existingdata (September 2024) Phase 2: ux fieldwork (may 2025) Phase 3: analysis + reporting (January 2026)
Inclusivity and belonging project Phase 3: Analysis + Reporting Four members of the project team built on previous analysis by doing a second pass over fieldwork they weren't involved in, and two new members joined to provide fresh eyes over everything. We’ve never done this before and we’ll definitely do it again. Final report in April covered 8 key themes and 19 recommendations. AIMING FOR A BETTERUNDERSTANDINGOF, AND THE REMOVAL OF BARRIERS FOR, UNDER- RECOGNISED DEMOGRAPHICS. PARTICULAR FOCUS ON FIRST IN FAMILY STUDENTS,ETHNICALLY MINORITISED STUDENTS, AND STUDENTSWHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA. Phase 1: existingdata (September 2024) Phase 2: ux fieldwork (may 2025) Phase 3: analysis + reporting (January 2026)
Staff are an absolutely essential part of inclusion. “For many of our participants, asking for help at all is significant. One told us:‘The library help desk has helped me. But it's like very like a lot of work for me. Just to get there and be like, can you please help me?’ We need to continue to encourage and reward help-seeking behaviour at all times, and to foster non-direct forms of communication - students told us they'd prefer to DM on Instagram than speak to a member of staff face-to-face when seeking help, for example.” Inclusivity + Belonging Final Report Key finding 1
Louder spaces are vital for several groups. “Students from marginalised groups often feel exposed or scrutinised as they move through University spaces. Silent or very quiet study areas heighten this feeling of hyper-vigilance, whilst louder, Studious Buzz areas help to reduce the exposure, helping students feel more at ease.” Inclusivity + Belonging Final Report Key finding 2
Students from marginalised groups experience information gaps. The No Gaps Project tells us that 'Without a sense of belonging, students may feel isolated, excluded and marginalised, leading to lower engagement in learning, support and university life.' Students from working-class or ethnically minoritised backgrounds often operate under a constant state of "decoding" the university environment. This cognitive overload leads to missed opportunities within the library - such as students unnecessarily purchasing books, failing to seek help, or overlooking available services. Inclusivity + Belonging Final Report Key finding 3
Often the biggest barrier to inclusion is this – the library building itself. “The Library is widely regarded as an inclusive environment, but this perception is carried by the interpersonal skills of our staff, our communication online, and specific initiatives (such as the Sensory Rooms or Family Study Room) - rather than the building itself.” Inclusivity + Belonging Final Report Key finding 4
We need all these, for reasons beyond our control. But they act as signals of exclusion to marginalised groups.
Our staff, our UX-mindset and specific initiatives, are working overtime to mitigate the effects of our building and its associatedpolicies, to ensure the library is considered inclusive.
The user voice is what roots these initiatives in authenticity.
we will take Ethical responsibility
This means taking due care when speaking to marginalised groups.
We really must take care of participant data.
… and that includes not letting it anywhere near GenAI.
… and that includes not letting it anywhere near GenAI. “AI systems function as infrastructures of anticipation, projecting historical patterns of disadvantage forward and narrowing the imaginable futures available to disabled people. ...the acceleration of AI development is at odds with the iterative, experience-based processes on which meaningful inclusion can depend. Effective accessibility practice requires time, collaboration, and human judgement, resources that are minimised in current framings of AI optimisation." Critical approaches to ai and accessibility (Lewthwaiteand coverdale, 2026)
… and that includes not letting it anywhere near GenAI. “Amnesty International finds that standalone generative AI systems, based on unlawful web scraping, depend on mass invasions of privacy by design, and are fundamentally incompatible with International Human Rights Law.” Unlawful by design: exposing thehuman rights costs of generative ai (amnesty international, 2026)
we will communicate with intention
We use the term under-recognised groups rather than under-represented groups, which is the phrase we typically see used in the University. Even though it is almost always not intended this way, there is an implication with the latter term that the onus is on the marginalised person to represent themselves better, whereas of course the reasons for under-representation are systemic and institutional. Language matters . Terminology Matters .
We use the term ethnically minoritised students rather than BAME students, based on advice from specialists in Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging. This framing highlights the fact that Black and Asian students' minority status at the University is an active, systemic process, rather than a static identity. Talking about 'BAME students' also risks implying a homogonisation of very diverse experiences. Language matters . Terminology Matters .
We use the term Trespasser Syndrome where the University often used the term Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome individualises suffering: it’s not something being done to you; it’s something you ‘have’, a personal flaw that comes from within. But students from marginalised groups are made to feel like outsiders by the University - that comes from without. Language matters . Terminology Matters .
The final step to elevating voices is to UX research data is almost never limited to the initial themes or areas of investigation – when we learn something of value that goes beyond our walls, we need to feed back to relevant groups across the University. elevate voices beyond the librar .
Our manifesto in full Any questions?
A widely-used library frequented by a diverse set of students and staff; better satisfy the needs of more people; allow more people to succeed in their work and study; make more people happy; increase footfall in the library; increase use of services; increase user happiness; increase likelihood of adequate funding; mitigate risk to reputation; avoid complaints and / or fines for malpractice; catering for the largest number of needs means you spend less money on adapting to new needs later; inclusive design means improved usability for everyone, not just marginalised groups; inclusivity drives creativity; making informed decisions that actually make things better for a wider range of people feels amazing; give people an increased sense of belonging; it’s the right thing to do.
But what about the downsides?
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@nedpotter.bsky.social ned-potter.com @nedpotter.bsky.social ned-potter.com Images in this presentation are cc0 from pexels , except the pictures of university of York library which are by paulshields The blog post published today features a version of these slides, plus key highlights from the Inclusivity + Belonging Project Report, and links to Open Access articles that cover several topics from this talk, including recruiting for diversity, three rounds of five, and advocating internally for UX at your library. The blog post published today features a version of these slides, plus key highlights from the Inclusivity + Belonging Project Report, and links to Open Access articles that cover several topics from this talk, including recruiting for diversity, three rounds of five, and advocating internally for UX at your library. Get out there and elevate voic