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Visualizing DE&I for
User Personas

Enhancing awareness of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) among users and reshaping the approach to representing diversity.

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The Background

The UX Research team at Unite Us previously explored Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) to understand its components and the influences of diverse backgrounds on user experience with our products. While this provided a broad understanding, there was a need for deeper insight to prioritize DEI as a core value and design an inclusive user experience. As a UX Research Intern, I spent 8 weeks researching and redefining our approach to DE&I and enhancing how we visualize diversity among our users.

Project Overview

Role

UX Research Intern

Tools

Google Suite

Zoom

Notion

Date

June - July 2023

Background

Initial Understanding of DEI

Prior to this study, the UXR team researched DEI, identifying categories that could be applied to our personas and represent users' unique needs and perspectives. 

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A Focus on Disabilities

The team took a deep dive into disabilities, learning about the different types and how they can impact users. They also considered the unique needs of users with disabilities.

Disability Categories.png

Industry Research

The UXR team aimed to further explore and interrogate these categories to deepen our understanding of DEI. I conducted research to better understand its significance in UX and how a deeper understanding of DEI could benefit our customers, clients, and company. I identified the following:

Why is DEI in UX important?

  • By understanding the different experiences and perspectives of people from different backgrounds, UX teams can design products that are more accessible and usable for all potential users.

  • Prioritizing DEI in UX encourages thoughtful consideration of user personas, ensuring they accurately represent the diverse range of users' needs, contexts, abilities, and backgrounds through thorough and quality research.

  • Designing for diverse customers leads to increased user satisfaction, engagement, loyalty, and business growth.

Research Methods

Through industry research, internal team interviews, and focus groups with 20 users and internal members spanning 3 teams, I conducted the following research methods to better understand DE&I and the ways that unique backgrounds impact the user experience of our product. Some questions I sought to answer were:​

  1. Are there any areas in the Unite Us platform that are not inclusive or accessible to certain users?

  2. What workarounds or solutions have users created or used to address a lack of inclusive or accessible design?

  3. Do we make any assumptions about our users’ experiences with the platform, and if so, when have our assumptions been incorrect?

  4. If given the opportunity to omit constraints, are there any features or workflows within the platform that might change in order to be more inclusive and accessible to all users?

Findings

The focus groups revealed two prominent themes: challenges faced by people in rural locations and those with limited English proficiency (LEP). These issues often intersected with various aspects of identity, circumstances, behavior, and environment.

1. Smaller organizations and rural organizations may have lower capacity, limited access to internet, and lower technology literacy across intersecting identities to work efficiently

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Alongside the feedback from focus group participants ranging across three user-facing teams, industry research elucidated unique experiences of people living in rural environment when it comes to internet access or background inequities that could limit their user experience.

“24% of rural adults found access to high-speed internet to be a major problem in their local community while 13% of urban adults agree with that statement” (2021).

Pew Research Center

“LEP patients have worse healthcare quality and outcomes and decreased access to preventive services.”

National Library of Medicine

2. Clients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) have barriers accessing the care they need

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Another theme expressed across multiple teams is the issue of non-English speaking clients who have difficulty communicating with organizations who do not provide translation services. Some team members recounted experiences of being unable to connect a client to appropriate resources with a native language translator, often preventing them from receiving the care they need.

3. Upon further research, it became clear that intersecting identities and circumstances create various efficiency and care barriers

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The populations identified in the focus groups, being rural locations and people with LEP, were not necessarily connected to just one of the original categories of DEI identified previously. People are intersectional and fluid, meaning they can have various facets of teir life and experiences tthat intersect, from permanents aspects of their identity to their environment to their circumstances.

Within the 25 million people that have LEP, “more than 20% of those LEP individuals lived in households with annual incomes below the official poverty level.”

Connecticut Department of Health

Recommendations

1. Categorize layers by identity, circumstances, and behavior and environment to better understand the diversity of our user personas

Based on the research findings, it was evident that the populations we received feedback on, rural residents and people with LEP, did not neatly align with the DEI categories determined previously. To address this, I discovered an approach using categories that encompass a broader range of influential factors of a user's experience: Identity, Circumstances, and Behavior/ Environment. These categories provide a more comprehensive way to understand how various factors interact to shape a user's experience. 

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2. Consider whether the different facets of DEI are situational, dependent, or permanent

In my research, I discovered the concept of "fluidity," depicting the dynamic nature of users' experiences. This underscores the need for deeper insights into evolving product interactions and more holistic design across different circumstances. When considering DEI in users, it's important to consider whether the context is situational, temporary, or permanent. Factors such as culture, geography, and abilities might be considered as permanent, whereas factors like device type and internet connections can be situational. The included diagram illustrates how this approach applies to "ability."

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Reflection

The discoveries from this project research highlight the potential of exploring intersectionality in users’ and clients’ interactions with Unite Us. The intent of this research was to discover ways to incorporate my findings into our User Personas to help us better identify and design for users' needs. Looking ahead, the UX Research team is committed to continuing the exploration of DEI in UX, using my recommendations to enrich their understanding of users.

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A significant challenge I faced was the time constraint of an 8-week internship, which led to adjustments in my project scope. This prevented full implementation of the recommended approaches on our user personas. Additionally, while insights from internal team members were valuable, conducting focus groups with users directly could have provided deeper insights into their individual challenges.

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As a newcomer to DEI research, this internship highlighted the importance of embedding DEI considerations in UX. Moving forward, the insights and recommendations I've generated will guide my approach to future UX and product research. I firmly believe in the power of inclusive design, ensuring all individuals, regardless of circumstances, can interact with a product equitably, experiencing the same satisfaction and effectiveness as the typical user.

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