Tool: Solo Shuffle
Multiple Overlapping Identities
The Challenge: People are often disadvantaged or privileged by multiple sources: their race, age, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and other identity markers. This is the basis of Intersectionality.
What is the activity? Worksheet
What is the Tenet? Identity is Intersectional
How many people? Solo (one)
How long does it take? 30 min
When should we use this tool in the design process?
The place for this is in the research stage
What is this Equity Beat?
Individually provide an anonymous, but reflective activity in which users explore their own intersections of power and bias.
Why should we use it?
To understand your overlapping social identities and how they are affected by systems of power, discrimination, and oppression.
Create your own wheel of intersectionality and consider audiences you may be overlooking in the design process.
Step 1:
How to play Solo Shuffle
Download the worksheet and fill it out.
Step 2:
As designers, we are in a position of power. We have the ability to choose how we use our identity and what identities we consider. Spiderman said it best "with great power, comes great responsibility".
Think about these questions for actionable design:
• How can we designers better accommodate the overlapping identities of our users?
• How can we recognize unique voices, and cater to their needs?
• How can we turn to diverse identities when researching and interviewing?
What impact can you make?
Reflect on one’s identity and how they use their privilege.
Consider identities outside of one’s own.
Recognize the cognitive biases in choosing whom to design for.
