Pushing for More Inclusive Foundations with Michael Champlin

Our work toward making our products and experiences more inclusive can’t just be considered at the end of the design process; it’s foundational. As designers, we’re well-positioned to push for positive change, but it’s not always easy.

I’ll speak about my experience creating a non-binary persona for a Fortune 500 technology company, from initial ideation and development through high-stakes deliverables. When we build inclusive foundations, we empower ourselves and others to build inclusive experiences and products.

Learning Objectives

• Inclusivity can’t be an afterthought, it has to come from the ground up
• As designers we’re well-placed to push for positive change, but it can be scary
• Designing with under-represented people in mind makes them more likely to feel safe in our experiences (and therefore use our products)

Your Speaker

Michael Champlin is a long-time designer with a weird and meandering background who found his home in UX design. I’m also (at various times): a speaker, author, and photographer and (all the time) a husband, and father to two children and as many as three cats at any given time. Michael is passionate about: improving the world for all humans through design and activism, advocating for inclusivity and equity in our processes and our industry, spending time outside, looking at birds, synthesizers, and breakfast foods.