Before we’re able to design useful products for the people and communities we serve, we must first turn our attention to the ways in which we work. 

Working together

Identify lived experiences and biases

Investigate biases

Use bias-free, person-centered language

Establish team values

Assemble multifaceted teams

Identify lived experiences and biases

Bias is the tendency to allow personal opinions and past experiences to influence one’s judgment. Many of these biases may be unconscious, but they are nonetheless damaging to others. They are often based on false stereotypes about a particular group. It’s part of the human condition to rely on these cognitive shortcuts and to assume others think like us or have similar values, opinions, and beliefs. 

Bias can skew our research and design activities, whether in our choice of who participates, what information we collect, or how that information is interpreted. Awareness of our biases is key to mitigating them, and that’s where the frames of reference exercise can be particularly valuable. 

Ready to conduct research for your project? Learn how to check your biases when moderating a research session.

FURTHER READING

• The positionality wheel is another form of the Frames of Reference exercise.
• The Decision Lab has a list of the most relevant cognitive biases in behavioral economics, which can be applied to our own biases as designers and researchers, but also participants.
• Nielsen Norman Group has several resources pertaining to bias in UX. Watch their video, Decision Biases Affecting UX Practitioners, to learn how to mitigate your own biases.

Investigate biases

We encourage everyone to read widely to examine their own identity and internalized bias—the narratives or stereotypes that they may have internalized about themselves, and how they might perpetuate bias. 

FURTHER READING

For more information, Intentional Futures has a useful explanation of institutional barriers and how it manifests in their design methodologies guide. Additionally, consider using the implicit bias test put together by Harvard, which is designed to identify unconscious positive and negative associations based on race.

Use bias-free, person-centered language

It’s important to use clear and respectful language that’s free of stereotypes and generalizations. Our words matter, whether we’re addressing the public or a fellow team member. Follow the guidelines below: 

Ensure the terms and references you use to refer to a group are both respectful and accurate.
Some terms may not be accurate to describe a group, while other terms can have negative connotations. For example, the term “American Indians and Alaskan Natives” is not an all-encompassing term for Indigenous Americans, as it does not include members of non-federally-recognized tribes, or Indigenous Americans who are not members of a tribe.

Use the terminology that groups and individuals use for themselves. This includes the preferred terminology of any individuals you work with directly. Do your research, read the resources listed in the “Further Reading” section below, and ask members of the group in question directly if you’re in doubt. 

Use people-first language.
People-first language is a way to respectfully acknowledge the humanity of an individual or group first, rather than the identity or condition they may experience. Examples of people-first language include “people with a mental disorder,” rather than calling someone “mentally ill,” or referring to someone as a “person without housing,” rather than as a “homeless person.” The specific terms preferred by an individual or group can vary, and do not always include people-first syntax; additionally, language is always changing. Refer to the resources in the “Further Reading” section below to better understand how to use people-first language, and always ask people directly how they wish to define themselves. 

Consider avoiding the word “user” when referring to the people we serve.
In line with using people-first language, consider using the word “people” instead of “user” when referring to those we’re trying to help. “User” can depersonalize our intended audience, potentially reducing them to a one-dimensional data point. “People,” in contrast, acknowledges the many distinct individuals who are interacting with the services we create for them, and helps us think collectively about the multiplicity of their viewpoints and lived experiences.

FURTHER READING

• APA’s Bias Free Language Guide, in particular their Inclusive Language Guidelines
• Language, Please

Establish team values

Discussing and documenting your team values will enable your group to create a shared understanding of how you want to work together and why you’re making those choices. Revisit your team values throughout your work to stay grounded in your intentions. 

Assemble multifaceted teams

Organizational leaders and managers should prioritize assembling teams with members that have a variety of lived experiences. It is a best practice to include and involve people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds. 

While this includes individuals of different races, genders, religions, sexual orientations, ages, and national origins, it also includes individuals of different economic, geographic, or educational backgrounds, for example. In a heterogeneous environment, each team member has different knowledge, perspectives, and points of view that help the group make better-informed decisions. Once a heterogenous team has been assembled, the frames of reference activity will be useful in identifying the individual and collective biases on the team. 

Beginning a project

Understand the project’s value

Learn how power structures can affect the people you serve

Examine your biases in the context of the project

Apply trauma-informed principles

Understand the project’s value

Before a project begins, come to a shared understanding of its value—which is to say, a clear sense of the intended outcomes that key decision-makers envision creating. This is necessary to truly evaluate how the project might impact the audience. 

Learn how power structures can affect the people you serve

If your product is for an underserved or underrepresented community, do some research.

• Research from a reliable source the community’s history, including its current and historical relationship with the government.
• Investigate any injustices the community has faced at the hands of the government and any historic mistrust that has resulted.
• Take time to learn about the regulations and/or policies currently in place that might affect the people and communities for whom you are designing. Dig in to learn about how those policies evolved to be what they are today.
• Explore any tension that might impact how you are perceived as a representative of the federal government when engaging with these communities.

People often access government services in their most vulnerable moments. Recognize the power imbalance between the federal government you’re representing and the people we serve. 

Engage with the broader community (other government agencies, nonprofits, grassroots organizations, or other groups working on a community level) to seek out knowledge and additional perspectives. 

Outside of your project work, make efforts to educate yourself, your team, and your leadership. Start a book club or develop a reading list for people to read at their own pace. 

Examine your biases in the context of the project

During team formation, you should have spent time uncovering your biases and personal experiences. Take time to do the  frames of reference activity again as a team, taking into consideration the context of the project you’re beginning. Pair the activity with a review of what you’ve learned about the audience for whom you’ll be designing.

Apply trauma-informed principles

Trauma is an event, a series of events, or a set of circumstances experienced by an individual or group as emotionally or physically harmful. This can have lasting effects on their sense of well-being.  

A trauma-informed approach aims to avoid re-traumatizing a person during the course of your work. 

People are not defined by their demographics or behaviors alone. Consider the events and circumstances that may be impacting someone, especially when you know you need to work with vulnerable individuals or communities. 

Ready to conduct research for your project? Learn how to recognize and respond to trauma during a research session.

Create a safe space for your team

It is possible that you and your team may experience second-hand trauma during a project. Sometimes called vicarious trauma, it’s when people have prolonged exposure to trauma victims or sensitive topics related to traumatic experiences. Learn about the signs for vicarious trauma and make space to talk about how the project work may be affecting the team. If you see someone on your team exhibiting signs of vicarious trauma, there are several steps you can take.

FURTHER READING

Much of this guidance regarding trauma is based on well-established research and experts. If you are interested in learning more about trauma and trauma-informed/responsive practices, read this comprehensive report on trauma-informed approaches created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA)

Related pages

• Overview
• Conducting research
• Design and development