People tend to think of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in terms of workshops, hiring, and employee resources. These efforts are all incredibly important. In my current position as a one-person show, I want to take on diversity, equity, and inclusion with my actions, specifically with my approach to creating products, services, and content.
I use Project Inkblot’s D4D Framework as my starting point in this journey, sharing in their language and terminology and following their critical-thinking questions as I approach all my projects, both personal and professional.
The five core questions:
- What’s the worst-case scenario, and on whom?
- How do the identities within your team influence and impact your design decisions?
- Who might you be excluding?
- How will you engage the people you want to reach within your design process, equitably?
- Is the ongoing process of improving your product or service informed by The Source?