But how can we succeed in creating a conscious and respectful approach while keeping as many forms of discrimination as possible in mind? It all starts with ourselves. We tend to imagine users who have similar circumstances and experiences to our own. As a result, marginalized groups, their needs and contributions are quickly disregarded. In order to design more consciously, we need to educate ourselves, reflect on our behavior and become aware of the definition of “normal” based on which we do our work. However, it is particularly important to understand that you can never be completely neutral or objective, as you always tend to carry a set of experiences and opinions into any situation. Awareness and empathy are therefore important building blocks in a respect-driven design process, but are no substitute for the inclusion of diverse user groups.
