3 Tips for Practicing Inclusion on Your Design Team
By Kristin Wood-Page, Senior Content Designer II
Since 2020, searches for “DEI” have nearly tripled. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are at the forefront of peoples’ minds, and all three are quickly becoming essential to the way many companies (and people!) work.
While it can be difficult to effectively move from philosophy to practice, there are a few practices I’ve noticed among the Instacart Design team that have helped our efforts to foster a truly inclusive culture on our team.
Communicate (if you’re comfortable)
As a cisgender woman, I haven’t faced the same struggles that trans and nonbinary people experience. Though I’ve been misgendered, it hasn’t been done to me as an act of cruelty. Others misgendering me has never put me in physical danger or at risk of death.
I try to always communicate my personal gender pronouns so that no one needs to ask. It’s a small step (“Hi, I’m Kristin, my pronouns are she/her”) that can do a lot to normalize sharing our identities. When we communicate our pronouns — and hold each other accountable for using them correctly — respect becomes the basis of our interactions.
The communication of personal pronouns shouldn’t be mandatory, as it may make people uncomfortable if they aren’t out as trans or non-binary. That said, if you’re comfortable doing so, I encourage you to share your pronouns. Add them to your Slack handle, your email signature, your Zoom profile, or anywhere else you might find handy. Use them when you first meet people for the first time, too. I included my pronouns in my interview presentation here at Instacart, just so people knew how to refer to me.
Humbly accept critique
As I’m writing this, I’m wondering who I might consult to make it perfect, or if it’s even possible to write this post in a way that includes everyone. In the 10+ years I’ve been working as a professional writer, I’ve learned that incisive feedback is the quickest way to grow. Whether someone is giving me a suggestion for more inclusive language or has a constructive critique for interpersonal interaction, I take notes.
If you find yourself receiving feedback on a delicate situation or topic, the absolute core of resolution is listening thoughtfully, without ego or fragility. Putting aside your own knowledge and your preconceived notions will probably make you feel defenseless, but in my own (very flawed!) practice, it gets easier with time, and can lead to a much more pleasant resolution.
If you want to dive in deeper, try asking yourself:
Which parts of this critique can I address?
Explore what you did. You may not always come to a deep understanding of the harm done, but it helps to try.
In your search for understanding, expect that the burden is yours. The person providing the feedback shouldn’t have to educate you (though they may choose to, if they have the time and desire). Educating yourself can go a long way in conveying your regret, because it will also help you do better in the future.
How can I resolve this in a constructive way?
Does the person who mentioned the issue want to discuss it further? Ask their permission to address the harm. Be open to their needs and suggestions. Know, too, that there isn’t always a constructive solution. Sometimes, a commitment to change — and following through — is the best way to show remorse.
What does an apology look like?
Most of us weren’t formally taught what an apology must look like. I always try to include three steps:
- Take responsibility for the harm done
- Don’t excuse or minimize the harm
- Commit to doing better
Keep in mind that no one must accept an apology, but offering one is usually the right thing to do.
Make sure everyone is heard
In meetings — and especially over video chat — interrupting someone else often happens by mistake. In one woman’s observation of 900 minutes of mixed-gender meetings, men are the source of ⅔ of interruptions, and were 3x as likely to interrupt women as they were to interrupt men (Study).
Outside of gendered interruption patterns, video chats can be troublesome for neurodivergent folks. Crosstalk and interruptions can quickly become overwhelming for folks with auditory processing disorders. Not everyone communicates their best via spoken word. Some of your coworkers may not feel comfortable speaking up, for many reasons. Part of inclusion is making sure communication is, itself, inclusive.
Here are a few tips:
- Pay attention to the chat in a video meeting. Some folks prefer to communicate in writing.
- Avoid talking over each other. Setting ground rules can be helpful so no one feels singled out.
- Find opportunities to amplify people whose points may have been overlooked (e.g., “As [name] mentioned, we could do X.”)
- Define terms, especially if you use lots of jargon. When everyone has the same baseline understanding, you’ll receive better feedback. This is especially important when you have new teammates.
- Give space for verbal processing. Make sure people have the opportunity to make their point without interruption, and make sure the group understands the point before moving forward.
With time, these will become part of your standard process for meetings. I’ve seen coworkers start using the “raised hand” feature in meetings, which encourages everyone else to forgo interruptions for raised hands. I’ve also seen an increase in verbal and written feedback, because people are encouraged to contribute in whatever way is most effective for them.
As we all work toward inclusion together, we have to be willing to openly, humbly communicate and listen. Practicing interpersonal inclusion within our design team has proven to be a great basis for designing for inclusion, too.
