Session: From Bias to Balance: Harnessing DEI & Ethics Principles in UX
UX Research is a profession that is based on a single principle: advocating for the
real human user of products, services and tools. My talk is geared towards the
everyday UX professional to help them think through their practice in an approach
that allows them to becoming more deeply ethical and DEI (diversity, equity, and
inclusion) focused. I am a UX researcher at Thumbtack, an adjunct professor of UXR
at York University, and a board member of the University of Toronto’s Board of Ethics for the
Social Sciences, Humanities and Research Council. I focus on the both tactical
aspects of UX research and design through the lens of ethics and DEI, for instance,
how might we reimagine our research tools through a DEI lens (screeners, recruiting
criteria, etc) to more fundamental questions: what makes a ‘good and articulate’
participant? I plan to share how UX professionals can blend key aspects of rigorous
academic based REB (Research Ethics Board) guidelines and learnings into the
world of tech and UX to create products that are more true to the
real human experience and create a more equitable digital world for those around us.
Bio
Amrit is a UX Researcher at Thumbtack and an Adjunct Professor of UX Research at York University's School of Continued Studies. She serves on the University of Toronto's Research Ethics Boards for the Social Sciences Humanities Research Council and is motivated by creating more equitable digital experiences for the world around us.