Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in UX Research
In toAt the end of the day, all users want to be seen. Diversity & Inclusion isn't just the right thing to do. It also makes business sense and should be part of core strategy.
Annie Jean-BaptisteDirector of Product Inclusion & Equity at Google day's globalized world, prioritizing diversity and inclusion in UX research is more important than ever. Ensuring a diverse representation of research study participants not only helps create more equitable and accessible products but also fosters innovation, drives better decision-making, and enables companies to connect with broader audiences.
By understanding the importance of diversity and inclusion in UX research, we can start building a solid foundation for more inclusive research practices.
Diversity and Inclusion is Good for Business
One of Annie Jean-Baptiste’s most popular quotes is “Diversity isn't just the right thing to do, it’s good for business.” A statement Annie and her team of researchers backed with evidence in a Harvard Business Review report titled: The Business Case for Product Inclusion Design Practices.
The report opens with a staggering statistic: “Demographics are shifting rapidly, with Black and Latinx consumer populations representing more than $1 trillion each in spending power globally. Consumers have a choice about where they spend their money. They have a growing voice in the products and services they use and promote—and those they call out as unsatisfactory.”
Ethnio has transformed the traditional UXR quota workflow from complex color-coded spreadsheets to a simplified user interface that automatically fills quotas based on qualifying logic and screener responses, saving countless hours of manual quota management. Additionally, you can review each quota and invite stakeholders to approve or decline participants.
The power of inclusive advertising – what can we learn?
There’s a lot to learn about DEI in other industries that can be applied in the world of Research Ops. For example, there’s quite a lot of evidence in advertising that inclusive approaches yield better business results. Ipsos and Google partnered to look at this overlap.
ShelleyWe learned that people are more likely to consider a product after seeing an ad they think is diverse or inclusive.
Shelley ZalisCEO of The Female Quotient Zalis, CEO of the Female Quotient, a women-owned business committed to advancing equality partnered with Google and Ipsos in 2019 to conduct a survey of 3,000 U.S. consumers from diverse backgrounds to understand perceptions surrounding diversity and inclusion in advertising. There are some direct lessons that can be applied to your Research Ops / UXR practice. The short version is that she found empirical evidence that you can do well and do good. Take the time to incorporate underserved audiences in your participant recruiting as your marketing team most likely has already found taking an inclusive approach to advertising is good business. Continue to center those you are serving, you don’t have to have all the answers.
Understanding Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are crucial concepts that drive equitable and accessible research practices. To effectively implement these principles in UX research, it's essential to grasp their definitions and key concepts.
Definitions and key concepts
Diversity refers to the variety of individual characteristics, backgrounds, and perspectives within a group, encompassing age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, and socio-economic status. Conversely, inclusion is the active effort to ensure that diverse individuals feel valued, respected, and integrated into a team or process.
In UX research, this means recognizing and incorporating the unique experiences and perspectives of research participants from different backgrounds. In Ethnio, this means using the multiple conditions for each Quota in a way that takes advantage of cohorts, locations, and any segment tags you have about your audience to define segments according to DEI.
What diversity and inclusion are not
Here are common myths and misconceptions about diversity and inclusion in UX research and why diversity initiatives fail:
A checkbox exercise: Diversity and inclusion are not just about meeting quotas or checking off boxes; they require a genuine commitment to fostering a culture of inclusivity and ensuring equitable representation in research studies.
Tokenism: Including individuals from diverse backgrounds solely for appearance is not authentic inclusion. Instead, it is essential to genuinely value and respect the unique perspectives and experiences that diverse individuals provide UX researchers.
Lowering standards: Promoting diversity and inclusion does not mean lowering the bar for research quality or participant selection. It means expanding the pool of potential participants to ensure that diverse perspectives are considered and valued.
A burden or inconvenience: While implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives might require extra effort, time, and resources, the benefits of incorporating diverse perspectives into UX research far outweigh any potential challenges.
A one-time endeavor: Achieving diversity and inclusion is an ongoing process that requires continuous reflection, improvement, and commitment. It's not enough to focus on diversity and inclusion during a single research study; UX professionals must actively work to incorporate these principles into all aspects of their work.
The role of diversity and inclusion in UX research
Diversity and inclusion play a multifaceted role in achieving inclusive UX design and research outcomes. Most importantly, it ensures that research studies represent the diverse user base of a product or service, leading to insights catering to a broader audience.
By involving participants with varied backgrounds, UX researchers can uncover new perspectives, identify hidden biases, and challenge assumptions, ultimately enhancing the quality of research findings.
Benefits of diverse and inclusive UX research studies
By actively seeking input from diverse users, companies can better understand the needs and preferences of different demographics, leading to more inclusive and accessible products.
This inclusive approach fosters user satisfaction and loyalty and helps organizations tap into new markets and expand their reach. Additionally, inclusive research practices contribute to a more equitable and just society by giving underrepresented groups a voice in shaping the products and services that impact their lives.
Annie Jean-Baptiste’s equitable design principles
Annie Jean-Baptiste argues that building inclusive product’s requires intention and principles, “Building an equitable product or service doesn’t just happen accidentally, it happens with intention and yields exceptional business results.”
Annie Jean-Baptiste’s equitable design principles:
There is no they, there is only we: You cannot build anything for a community without getting their perspective at critical points in the design process and allowing their feedback to shape the trajectory of your plans.
Holistic is majestic: when we think in silos, we build in silos. People have multiple “meltable dimensions” that work together to make them beautifully unique. Building for one dimension without considering others oversimplifies.
Diversity is the core of innovation. For everyone. When you build for an underrepresented group, the solutions benefit all of your consumers.
Profit and People are not mutually exclusive. By ensuring that you think about historically underrepresented users and building more equitably, you can grow your consumer base and build your business. Because at the end of the day, everyone just wants to feel seen.
Setting Effective Quotas for Diversity
Defining research quotas
Research quotas are predetermined limits or targets for the number of participants in specific demographic categories within a UX research study.
Quotas ensure that the sample represents the diversity of the target user base and considers factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, income, education, and disability status, among others. Quotas help researchers minimize biases and ensure that the insights generated from the study apply to a broader audience.
If you seek to enter diverse markets, your organization must become the market you seek.
Del Johnson, Venture Capital Investor, formally Backstage CapitalHow to set appropriate quotas for various demographics
When setting quotas, consider the following steps to ensure you're capturing an accurate representation of your user base:
Review your user base demographics: Analyze data on your current or target user base to determine the demographic breakdown.
Align quotas with business goals: Ensure that the quotas reflect the organization's diversity and inclusion objectives and support the product's broader goals.
Consider intersectionality: Recognize that demographics are not mutually exclusive, and participants can belong to multiple categories. Intersectionality for UX research is essential for understanding how various social identities interact and influence user experiences.
Be flexible and adaptive: Regularly review and update quotas to reflect changes in your user base or business objectives.
Ensuring representativeness and inclusivity
To guarantee representativeness and inclusivity in your research, implement the following strategies:
Strive for proportional representation: Set quotas that reflect the proportions of different demographic groups within your target user base.
Engage diverse participants at every stage: Include participants from various demographic backgrounds throughout the research process, from ideation to product evaluation.
The Quota Challenge for UX Researchers
Diversity in the population requires a diversity of products. You’ve got to challenge this notion of one design fits all.
Ian HoskingSenior Research Associate at Cambridge University’s Engineering Design Centre
Implementing quotas for UX research can be challenging for several reasons:
Manual and time-consuming process: Keeping track of quotas involves using color-coded spreadsheets, which can be cumbersome to manage and update.
Potential for human error: Manual management of quotas increases the likelihood of mistakes, which can lead to skewed participant representation or inaccurate research findings.
Difficulty maintaining privacy: Using spreadsheets can expose participant information, raising concerns about data breaches and privacy violations.
Coordination among team members: Ensuring all researchers and stakeholders agree regarding quotas can be complex, especially when working with larger teams or multiple projects.
Recognizing these challenges and exploring tools and solutions that can help automate and streamline the process of managing UX research quotas is essential.
Using Ethnio to automate UX research quotas
Ethnio's Quotas feature streamlines setting and managing quotas for UX research studies. Through an intuitive user interface, powerful automation, and customizable qualifying logic, Ethnio enables researchers to recruit and segment participants efficiently, saving time and reducing the risk of data breaches.
Ethnio's Screeners allow you to create fully editable multiple hard and soft quotas, easily visualize and monitor quotas using color coding and emoji shortcuts, and invite stakeholders to review and approve or decline participants. By automating quota management, researchers can focus on the insights and actionable recommendations that emerge from diverse and inclusive UX research.
Recruiting Participants for Diverse UX Research Studies
Without diverse perspectives, it is harder for product teams to address underrepresented populations and create inclusive products.
Targeting underrepresented groups
To create a more inclusive UX research process, targeting and engaging underrepresented groups is essential. These groups might include individuals from different ethnic backgrounds, genders, ages, or socio-economic statuses. By including their perspectives, you can better understand user needs and create products that cater to a broader audience.
Inclusive recruitment methods and channels
Adopting inclusive recruitment methods and channels is crucial for reaching diverse participants. Here are some strategies to consider:
Partner with organizations that advocate for underrepresented groups, such as non-profits or community groups, to help you connect with potential participants.
Use social media and online forums to share your research opportunities with diverse audiences.
Encourage referrals from existing participants, as they might have connections with underrepresented individuals.
Use paid advertising to target specific demographics and reach individuals who might not be actively seeking research opportunities.
Addressing language and accessibility barriers
Language and accessibility barriers can prevent potential participants from engaging in your research. To make your UX research studies more inclusive, consider the following:
Offer translated versions of your research materials, such as screeners, consent forms, and instructions, to accommodate non-English speakers. Ethnio's Screeners allow you to customize every field, button, and link in multiple languages.
Ensure your research materials and online platforms are accessible for individuals with disabilities. For example, provide alternative formats for visually impaired participants, such as large print or screen reader-compatible content—Ethnio's Screeners work with all screen readers and assistive technologies. They are compliant with Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 (Level AA) and the NVDA reader on Windows.
When scheduling research sessions, consider offering flexible time slots to accommodate participants from different time zones or those with limited availability—i.e., single-parent households or shift workers.
Offer relevant and appealing incentives to diverse audiences, such as gift cards for international retailers or charitable donation options.
In Ethnio, the centralized Translations Editor makes it easy to work with both AI and automated translations as well as sending this editor to localization and language experts on your team where they can copy and paste into their own templates, as well as edit multiple languages in Ethnio across screening, scheduling, and incentives:
Evaluating the Success of Diversity and Inclusion Efforts
When customers see that a company values diversity, they tend to be more loyal. And no, it’s not just with the customers from the underrepresented groups; customers from the majority recognize this, too.
Kyree Holmes, Founder at Onyx ValleyKey performance indicators for diversity and inclusion
To assess the effectiveness of your diversity and inclusion efforts in UX research, establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial. These quantitative and qualitative measures help track progress and determine whether your initiatives are successfully fostering an inclusive research environment.
Some KPIs to consider for diversity and inclusion:
Demographic representation: Analyze the demographics of your research participants to ensure they accurately represent your target user base and meet your established quotas.
Participant satisfaction: Use surveys and interviews to gauge participant satisfaction and uncover potential barriers to inclusion.
Retention rates: Monitor retention rates for diverse participants to ensure they remain engaged throughout the research process.
Research outcomes: Assess the impact of diverse participant input on research findings and product improvements.
Regularly reviewing and updating quotas
To maintain the effectiveness of your diversity and inclusion efforts, it's essential to regularly review and update quotas based on changing demographics, user needs, and business objectives.
This proactive approach ensures that your UX research continues to represent the diverse perspectives of your target audience. Some strategies for updating quotas include:
Systematic demographic analysis: Regularly assess your user base to ensure your quotas align with the current demographic landscape.
Feedback from stakeholders: Consult with research team members, designers, and product managers to discuss and adjust quotas based on evolving business goals or user needs.
Monitor industry trends: Monitor broader demographic trends and best practices in UX research to inform your quota adjustments.
In Ethnio, you can easily edit and update quotas live during studies.
Seeking feedback from participants and stakeholders
Gathering feedback from research participants and stakeholders is invaluable for evaluating and refining your diversity and inclusion efforts. To ensure continuous improvement, consider the following feedback methods:
Participant surveys: Collect feedback from participants after research sessions to gauge their satisfaction with the research process, uncover potential barriers to inclusion, and identify areas for improvement.
Stakeholder meetings: Schedule regular check-ins with stakeholders, such as researchers, designers, and product managers, to discuss the effectiveness of your diversity and inclusion initiatives and gather suggestions for enhancements.
Industry benchmarks: Compare your diversity and inclusion efforts with those of other organizations or industry standards to identify potential gaps or opportunities for improvement.