How User Experience Addresses Unconscious Bias

FIN. DIGITAL
PAGE # PRESENTATION BY: MARCUS & RAKIA1
Say Hello!

FIN. DIGITAL
PAGE # PRESENTATION BY: MARCUS & RAKIA
How User Experience Design
Addresses Unconscious Bias
Hi NCT4G!
A N U N C O M F O R T A B L Y P R O D U C T I V E C O N V E R S A T I O N
Marcus Finley
Co-Founder FIN Digital
marcus@fin-digital.com
@marcusafinley

FIN. DIGITAL
PAGE NUMBER PRESENTATION BY: MARCUS & RAKIA
@marcusafinley
4
MARCUSCEO | FIN Digital
• !🌞🌞🌞🗺
• ❤📱
• 🏢💼💰👥
• ❤🏈🏀
• ,🍼!
• ✏⌚📱💻

• How unconscious bias effects the way users/
consumers/PEOPLE interact with technology
• What YOUR role and responsibility is around
preventing bias when your are building technology
solutions
What we’ll discuss
TRIGGER WARNING: Some of the material in this presentation
contains information or topics that may be triggering.

A bias that we are unaware of, and which happens
outside of our control. It is a bias that happens
automatically and is triggered by our brain making quick
judgments and assessments of people and situations,
inﬂuenced by our background, cultural environment, and
personal experiences.
-Unconscious Bias and Higher Education Equality Challenge unit (2013)
Unconscious Bias

FIN. DIGITAL
Exercise

•Prejudices that we have but are unaware of and
are often times based on norms and stereotypes
•Response to others based on a number of
indicators either positive or negative.
•Assumptions made to generate actions that can
ostracize a particular social group
Unconscious Bias

•Most people have no idea of how biased they actually are
•Most people believe the people around them are more
biased than they are themselves
•Our ability to perceive bias in others is actually pretty good.
•Our ability to perceive bias in ourselves is generally
dreadful.
Bias Blind Spot

FIN. DIGITAL
Who am I?

FIN. DIGITAL
What is their gender? 
 
Are they important at their job? 
 
What race is they? 
 
How knowledgeable are they
about technology? 
 
Are they a Designer or Developer
or Other? 
 
Would you hang out with they?

FIN. DIGITAL

FIN. DIGITAL
UNCONSCIOUS BIAS ACTIVATED

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
Project Implicit

FIN. DIGITAL
17

FIN. DIGITAL
18
the tech uniform

FIN. DIGITAL
TEAM STRUCTURE
THE FIRST MEETING

FIN. DIGITAL
Let’s Form
OurTeam

FIN. DIGITAL
TEAM STRUCTURE
WHO TO INVITE TO THE TABLE
- all the people -

FIN. DIGITAL
Multiple generations.
Boomers, Gen-X, Millennials, +++
They each bring a different generational
perspective, values and skill sets, cultural
reference points, beliefs, attitudes and archetypes.
TEAM STRUCTURE

FIN. DIGITAL
Introverts and extroverts
Include individuals with different ways of
perceiving and interpreting: feeling, intuiting,
judging, etc. This will add a richer dimension
to your group’s problem solving abilities.
TEAM STRUCTURE

FIN. DIGITAL
Right- and left-brain thinkers.
Creative types and linear thinkers, artists and
bean counters. The Yin and Yang of linear/
analytical and non-linear/creative thinkers is an
important element of the creative process.
TEAM STRUCTURE

FIN. DIGITAL
People from different countries & cultures
Capitalize on their diverse world viewpoints
and cultural understandings. Cultural fusion
is a powerful element of innovation.
TEAM STRUCTURE

FIN. DIGITAL
Throw in one or two “wild cards.”
The unexpected can stir things up and add a new
dynamic into the mix. You can invite customers,
clients, suppliers, kids, etc.—anyone who can
provide fresh, new perspectives on your challenge.
TEAM STRUCTURE

FIN. DIGITAL
A range of expertise, professional
backgrounds, and specialties
People from any discipline, even one not
directly related to the challenge at hand, may
offer incredible insights and value.
TEAM STRUCTURE

FIN. DIGITAL
A balance gender and social orientation
Just as different generations can provide a
variety of perspectives, so can individuals
with diverse personal backgrounds
TEAM STRUCTURE

FIN. DIGITAL
29
The battle cry of user-centered design is that user
experiences are designed around the needs of the
user, not the assumptions of the client or designer.
But often a designer’s unconscious assumption
that their experiences are a good gauge for other’s
experiences undermines the final user experience. 
 
INCLUSIVE DESIGN: DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE DIFFERENT THAN YOU

• Usually occurs when input is
required from users
• Neglecting relevant content
for specific demographics
HOW BIAS SHOWS UP IN UX

HOW BIAS SHOWS UP IN CONVERSATIONAL UX

•Who are we targeting?
•Do our users have different
cultural backgrounds?
•Do your users need different
experiences based on their
backgrounds?
•Who can we talk to?
IMPLICIT BIAS IN THE DISCOVERY PHASE

IMPLICIT BIAS IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
•Validation rules
•Validate assumptions
•User testing
•Reference user personas

APPLY IMPLICIT BIAS TO YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE IN TECH
Flip The Narrative 
When discussing users and interactions challenge WHO is it you might be talking about.
Question Yourself 
Be vigilant in situations where your biases are likely to be most influential
Acknowledge The Lack Of Diversity In Your Team 
If your team looks like the cast of ANY techie/nerdy sitcom, speak out
Hold Yourself And Others Accountable 
Acknowledge your bias among your team and create gut checks when designing to eliminate
those biases
Find The Power Of Empathy  
Build, design and implement for the unseen and unheard
1
2
3
4
5

HOW TO DESIGN WITH IMPLICIT BIAS
• Add a step in your user profile
development process that combats the
decision making bias
• Remove the sources (person) of bias
• Increase awareness through open
discussion
• Produce a more diverse team

FIN. DIGITAL
Unconscious Bias is in Design

FIN. DIGITAL
EMPATHIZE
Empathy may feel like a buzzword these days,
but its power is real. In just 10 minutes, an
empathetic salesperson turned me into a loyal
customer.
“
Encourage & Build Curiosity
Listen & Listen Actively
Research
Display User Quotes
Pictures & Videos of Users
”

FIN. DIGITAL
EMPATHIZE
May not account for diverse backgrounds.

FIN. DIGITAL
Say Hello!
QUICK BREAK
QUICK BREAK

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TACTICS
•You need to make sure to create designs with all
different kinds of users, particularly people who
are different from you in terms of age, gender,
race, income, ability etc. to reveal issues early.
•Identify your assumptions and test with people
who fall outside of those.
TEST WITH ALL THE PEOPLE

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TACTICS
•Identify if they could have had an personal
experience different from you
•Have you met someone like this before
•Can you relate to their life experiences
TEST WITH ALL THE PEOPLE
Empathize Implicitly

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/fashion/For-Women-Hairstyles-at-the-Barbershop.html
Case Study

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TACTICS
•Be careful when defining metrics by age, race,
gender or education levels because it could be
used to create bias unintentionally
•Develop metrics that encourage inclusions for
users
TESTING METRICS FOR BIAS

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TACTICS
•Do not request for gender unless truly needed
•Implement an understanding of pro-nouns
•Identify areas in the experience where bias could
be introduced in the digital experience or by user
interactions
SETTING RULES USER INTERACTIONS WITHOUT BIAS

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TACTICS
Tactic 1:
• Start with quiet ideation before leading to a
group brainstorm. This allows every person to
have a voice and allows for the group to
specifically avoid groupthink.
BRAINSTORMING TACTICS FOR ALL VOICES

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TACTICS
Tactic 2:
• Hold up pictures of personas. Allow for your team
to explorer the experience from different angles
for each diverse persona.

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TACTICS
Tactic 3:
• Experiment with format. For example, a round robin
brainstorm might allow for everyone to get a chance to
share ideas. Another formatting method might be to
have each participant copy and paste the ideas into one
shared document, followed by a period of reading the
ideas and then adding more as a group.

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TACTICS
Tactic 4:
• Allow others to lead. Provide an opportunity
within the ideations process to exchange the
leadership role to give everyone a voice.

FIN. DIGITAL
BIAS TOOL
• Prototyping. It’s best to check for bias at this
phase since ideas become more cemented into
the project beyond this point.
• Testing for Inclusion: This should happen on a
consistent basis but especially in the prototyping
phase.
FAST & INCLUSIVE

FIN. DIGITAL
PROTOTYPE
• Color choices (cultural significance, visual impairments)
• Font weights and styles
• Affordances & feedback
• Audibility
• Layout (language considerations, readability)
• Allow for customization
• Font size
• Overall zoom & magnification
• Color scheme & contract
• Touchscreen gestures
• Easy to recognize cues and metaphors
• Define labels
Inclusive Design Checklist

FIN. DIGITAL
TEST
• Who are you testing with? Test your assumption
with personas you feel less connected to.
• Where are you testing? Get out of the office and
meet more diverse users.
FAST & INCLUSIVE

FIN. DIGITAL
IMPLEMENT
Flip The Narrative 
When discussing users and interactions challenge WHO is it you might be talking about.
Question Yourself 
Be vigilant in situations where your biases are likely to be most influential
Acknowledge The Lack Of Diversity In Your Team 
If your team looks like the cast of ANY techie/nerdy sitcom, speak out
Hold Yourself And Others Accountable 
Acknowledge your bias among your team and create gut checks when designing to eliminate
those biases
Find The Power Of Empathy  
Build, design and implement for the unseen and unheard
1
2
3
4
5

FIN. DIGITAL
Say Hello!

FIN. DIGITAL
MORE INFORMATION
Books
Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman
Designing for Behavior Change Stephen Wendel
Blogs & Thoughts
Kayla Heffernan - @kaylajheffernan [twitter.com, medium.com]
Benjamin Earl Evans - @benjamineevans [twitter.com, medium.com
Emi Kolawole - @emikolawole [twitter.com, medium.com]
Michael Miles - @mikemiles86 [twitter.com]
Rafael Sergio Smith - @rafael_smith [twitter.com]
Videos
‘The Social Lives of Algorithms’ - Paul Dourish
‘The Science of Everyday Thinking’ - Jason Tangen, Matthew Thompson, & Emma
MacKenzie
Organizations
Project Include - projectinclude.org

FIN. DIGITAL
SOURCES
• Google ReWork:  
https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/unbiasing-evaluate-subtle-messages/steps/introduction/ 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5s_-Nl3JE
• Culture Plus Consulting: 
https://cultureplusconsulting.com/2015/11/03/unconscious-bias-training-that-works/
• BuzzFeed: 
https://www.buzzfeed.com/carolineodonovan/airbnb-is-getting-sued-for-racial-discrimination?
utm_term=.dxwM5ywJGa#.tvxWRZYGX6
• Grovo: 
https://youtu.be/8Y_FZEyAako
• NPR: 
http://www.npr.org/2016/04/26/475623339/-airbnbwhileblack-how-hidden-bias-shapes-the-sharing-
economy
• UX Booth: 
http://www.uxbooth.com/articles/three-exercises-to-teach-your-team-empathy/
• UN Women: 
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2013/10/women-should-ads
• Microsoft: 
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/design/inclusive
• Kayla Heffernan: 
http://www.kaylaheffernan.com/

How User Experience Addresses Unconscious Bias

More Related Content

What's hot

Similar to How User Experience Addresses Unconscious Bias

Recently uploaded

How User Experience Addresses Unconscious Bias