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IU Center of Excellence for Women and Technology Indiana University

Blog post month of April

Posted on by saewashi

Black Girls Code – Kimberly Bryant (https://wearebgc.org/)  

  • Founded in 2011, Kimberly Bryant developed a non-profit organization the goal of increasing the pipeline of the amount of Black girls in tech by showing society that they have the ability to “code, lead, innovate, and engineer their own futures”. She was motivated to create this company when she noticed her daughter didn’t enjoy her time at her summer computer camp because she was the only Black girl and one in a few girls. She then was determined to build a safe space where Black girls will get the proper attention and guidance when navigating the tech field. They have programs that focus on web design, game design, mobile app design, and robotics. Black Girl Code also hosts events such as workshops, summer camps, enrichment activities, alumnae programs, code clubs, and hackathons. In these programs and events, she also introduces entrepreneurial ideas to these young women.  

Goodr – Jasmine Crowe (https://goodr.co/)  

  • Goodr was established with the intention of feeding more people and wasting less food. They use technology and other logistics to trace a company’s food usage from the pickup site to the donation site while providing analytics on the social and environmental impacts on the community. Goodr also delivers groceries and meals to families and people in need by partnering with other organizations.  They transform inedible food waste that come from landfills to decrease the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.  Goodr assists organizations with reaching zero waste and decreasing their carbon footprint by giving them “full-scale waste management solutions”. With their technology pick-ups and deliveries can be scheduled and monitored ultimately using data collection, route optimization, and online registration to be as effective and efficient as possible.  

NixCode – Sydney (https://nixcodeapps.com/)  

  • Sydney wanted to build software that would be suitable for non-tech users. This platform is cloud-based that utilizes no-code developmental services. NixCode assists in creating customized mobile apps by making use of software that acts like a human brain. Users can choose different templates and customize them. NixCode also has high-tech robot skills making it capable of developing mobile apps that don’t use code while being user-friendly and having accessible pricing while also being easy to use. Their app roadmap, no-code builder, and app dashboard all work to utilize plugins, interfaces, control panels, and app performance for user engagement and sustainability. NixCode will tell the user how to create the app, provide real-time app performance and metric monitoring.  

Blavity – Morgan DeBaun (https://blavity.com/)  

  • Blavity is a tech media platform that was designed to support Black millennials and Gen Z creatively and economically. They cover a range of topics such as news, lifestyle, travel, entertainment, university, events, and more. DeBaun founded the company to promote racial equity and push Black stories while using technology to bridge the gap between parts areas of the Black community. An important goal for Blavity is to properly portray Black culture since Black culture is typically poorly illustrated. Blavity believes that by providing another source of information that the narrative can be changed!   

ELROI – Rachel Cash (https://www.elroi.ai/)    

  • Founded in 2020 Rachel create ELROI which is a data privacy management solution that assists consumers and a variety of companies on how to manage their data. Cash having experience as a data privacy attorney was of use when developing software that aids customers and companies in rethinking the relationship of power. The overall goal of ELROI is to provide the necessary tools to companies to make sure they are meeting privacy compliance requirements and don’t get fined! They provide a tracking dashboard, allow for web forms to be set up easily, and provide templates and other smart guides for customer communications.  ELROI focuses on achieving compliance with CCPA & GDPR Data Subject Request Management, identifying opportunities with Enterprise Privacy Gap Assessment & Action Plans, transforming capabilities with privacy programs & strategic framework deployments, advance trust by Committing to Simplifying Privacy Policies, Education & Increasing Trust with Customers, empowering others by introducing the software to other customers and employees in order recreate the data ecosystem, and managing data by allowing customers to understand and digest their data with a smooth clean dashboard display! 

Books on Technology by Women of Color

Posted on by saewashi

Greetings! Whoever you are, where ever you are reading from, we welcome you! Please take time to read a book by one of these amazing authors of color about Technology.

Books on Technology by Women of Color in Technologist
VIRAL JUSTICE How We Grow the World We Want
Ruha Benjamin – www.ruhabenjamin.com

WINNER OF THE 2023 STOWE PRIZE Viral Justice reveals how racism poisons our bodies, communities, and institutions, but the book also chronicles inspired movements seeking repair and justice. Viral Justice  offers a passionate, inspiring, and practical vision of how small changes can add up to large ones, transforming our relationships and communities and helping us build a more just and joyful world.

Techno-Vernacular Creativity and Innovation: Culturally Relevant Making Inside and Outside of the Classroom
Nettrice Gaskins – https://www.nettricegaskins.com/

Nettrice Gaskins proposes a novel approach to STEAM learning that engages students from historically marginalized communities in culturally relevant and inclusive maker education. Techno-vernacular creativity (TVC) connects technical literacy, equity, and culture, encompassing creative innovations produced by ethnic groups that are often overlooked.

Algorithms of Oppression
Safiya Umoja Noble – https://safiyaunoble.com/

In Algorithms of Oppression, Safiya Umoja Noble challenges the idea that search engines like Google offer an equal playing field for all forms of ideas, identities, and activities. Data discrimination is a real social problem; Noble argues that the combination of private interests in promoting certain sites, along with the monopoly status of a relatively small number of Internet search engines, leads to a biased set of search algorithms that privilege whiteness and discriminate against people of color, specifically women of color.

Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators Paperback
Susanne Tedrick – https://susannetedrick.com/

Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators seeks to help women of color overcome the obstacles that prevent them from pursuing and staying in tech careers. This book will show you that today’s tech careers are incredibly dynamic, and you’ll learn how your soft skills―communication, public speaking, networking―can help you succeed in tech.

Unapologetically Dope: Lessons for Black Women and Girls on Surviving and Thriving in the Tech
Nicki Washington, Ph.D. – https://nickiwashington.com/

In Unapologetically Dope, Dr. Nicki Washington shares her lessons learned from childhood to adulthood on how to remain your most authentic self while still succeeding in a field where less than 1% of all graduates are Black women.

Artificial Unintelligence – How Computers Misunderstand the World
Meredith Broussard – https://meredithbroussard.com/

In Artificial Unintelligence, Meredith Broussard argues that our collective enthusiasm for applying computer technology to every aspect of life has resulted in a tremendous amount of poorly designed systems. With this book, she offers a guide to understanding the inner workings and outer limits of technology—and issues a warning that we should never assume that computers always get things right.

Judging a Book by its Cover? The Importance of a Good First-Impression with Visual Media

Posted on by saewashi

Nearly everyone has heard of the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”, or something similar, in their lifetime. A straightforward idiom usually meant to comment on how people should look at others beyond the surface, since it is an innate behavior all humans do. We make assumptions of others based on the biases or stereotypes associated with almost everything: social groups, nationality, clothes, and even the kind of hobbies one has will create a positive or negative association just upon the first time meeting someone.

However, when we take the meaning of this phrase literally, does this definition still hold the same merit? While it’s always good to practice seeing the value in something past the way it looks, for many products and forms of media, making a good visual first impression can make or break the success of what the design is attached to. A spectacular design gets everyone talking, and so will an awful design… the phrase “any press is good press” may not apply depending on just how bad it is. To test this, let’s go over some examples to discuss what makes or breaks an eye-catching design.

Movie Posters

For movies, other than trailers and commercials, the poster plays an integral role in advertising. If a viewer has not seen the trailers or commercials, the poster is the next in line to entice a viewer to watch. This can also apply to the DVD box art, or thumbnails on streaming services, but for theater releases a poster is a must. With this, however, trends are fairly noticeable since movie poster designs tend to follow a similar format across genres.

For example, action movies – particularly in the superhero subgenre – will often have a large ensemble of prominent characters stacked on top of each other (Marvel posters have become infamous for this).

Black Panther movie poster Avengers movie poster Thor movie poster
Credit: Marvel

While trends don’t inherently make a bad design, it can become repetitive and oversaturated, especially if similar movies are being shown within the same time frame. A unique take on this trend has been done for the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). While not primarily an action film, several characters are featured and are organized with a similar stacking format. In combination with the chaotic, psychedelic-inspired stylization, a viewer can infer that the movie will have a lot going on – the viewer decides whether that is a plus or negative for them!

Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Credit: A24
Album Art

The art of an album typically doesn’t much matter to those who already know which artists or songs they want to listen to, but it can certainly elevate the experience if the album cover is pleasing to look at (with vinyl in particular gaining the most visual benefit). However, for those who are unfamiliar with an artist or are seeking out something new, the final decision can sometimes come down to whether or not an album cover looks aesthetically pleasing or interesting. The cover has the job of portraying what kind of listening experience the album offers; a more abstract or alternative sound tends to come with art that displays a similar conceptual style, such as Tame Impala’s “Currents” (2015). An album that has more personal themes are likely to feature the artist themselves on the cover as a focal point. Adele is a prime example – nearly all of the artist’s album and single covers are simply a photograph of her face or full-body shot.

One album that takes a little bit of both previously mentioned features to aid the album art is SZA’s SOS (2022). The cover composition is quoted by SZA to be directly inspired by a photograph of Princess Diana taken in 1977, where Prince Diana is seen sitting on the very end of the diving board on a yacht during a trip in Italy. The artist has said that she chose this same pose since it created a sense of isolation and loneliness. If the visual of an album cover is able to properly display the messages and emotions present in featured songs, it is more likely that listeners who are seeking that type of music will quickly gravitate towards choosing it.
Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records
Credit: Top Dawg Entertainment / RCA Records

Finally, we reach the final and most straightforward example of media where the cover can influence or dissuade a chance. Although other forms of media have their own challenges when it comes to grabbing a buyer’s interest, books likely have the most to lose since there are hundreds of styles and trends that have followed books, especially genre wise. If you ask someone to imagine the cover of a typical romance novel, for example, among the first associations will likely be of the protagonist couple embracing, against a photo background that has been edited in a way that looks fairly jarring.

Harlequin Enterprises ULC
Credit: Harlequin Enterprises ULC

Enjoyment of a book cover is subjective, and there are likely people who will enjoy a certain style even when there are common opinions of a trend being seen as cheesy or overdone. There are, however, unique ways to shake up the composition of a book cover, even if the cover is primarily using typography. Unlike the previously discussed forms of media, book covers almost always must utilize typography to showcase the book’s author and title. It is the first source of information a reader will gather regarding a book, so if both don’t particularly pique interest at first, the next line of defense is the cover itself. Outside of non-fiction and informational books, having a minimal or bland usage of aesthetics may cause a reader to look elsewhere, even if they do decide to read the book’s blurb on the back or inner cover. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to try something visually interesting even if there is little text to work with.

Christopher Brand, Matt Vee, Jennifer Carrow
Credit: Christopher Brand, Matt Vee, Jennifer Carrow

Another thing that makes book cover design unique is that for certain genres – mainly classic or established children’s series – it is common for redesigns of the book’s cover to occur over time. The styles of these redesigns can range greatly, but they can also share a goal for the reasoning of a redesign. A collection of classic literature cover redesigns by illustrator Mikey Burton, for example, were composed in a “modernized” way to catch the attention of younger readers.

Credit: Mikey Burton
Credit: Mikey Burton

Final Judgements?

While not everyone will consider visual presentation to be important in regard to the media they enjoy, just as it is with human nature, a first glace can sway an opinion fairly quickly. In this widely digital age, many of us are given too many options for entertainment to properly experience them all. So, if two books have a similar premise and similar critical reception, a good design can cause one book to be chosen over the other. However, that’s not to say that a “bad” or unusual design will hinder the success of a product. While taste is always subjected, the following images show examples of media where while the content is generally enjoyed or acclaimed, the art is considered the weakest part of it.
From left to right: X-Men: First Class (2011), Glory – Brittany Spears (2016), The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925).

Credit: 20th Century Fox / Marvel, RCA Records, Charles Scribner’s Sons

In your daily life, consider looking at the pieces of media you have and which you consider favorites. Beyond the content of the material, can you find a trend in styles and aesthetics you enjoy? Visual art can connect us in ways that the movies, music, and books that we enjoy do too. However, also consider pieces of media you enjoy that may look less than quality on their surface level. Even if aesthetics can help prepare a very nice first impression, the content of the material should still be the most important factor of what you base judgements on.

The same can be said for people – humans are far more complex than what the surface level tells you. With this in mind, consider your own biases and judgements you have when you look at one’s “cover”. Even with existing trends and stereotypes, not one person fits a singular mold of what society deems that their communities should act or look like. Just like how we are drawn to certain aesthetics in art, we should examine the types of people we are drawn towards and whether we – unintentionally or not – exclude others on the basis of their “cover” before knowing what’s beyond the first page.

Women in Research Spotlight: Amanda Grenell, Ph.D.

Posted on by mnsaxena

As a new initiative, the Women Who Code team is interviewing women in research across IU. Our goal is to recognize and celebrate women in academia across the university, demonstrate the value of technology in various fields, and empower readers to get involved in research or otherwise succeed in their field. More information about this initiative, including how to be interviewed or get involved in research yourself, is included at the end!

Our first interviewee is Amanda Grenell, a postdoctoral researcher in the Psychological and Brain Sciences department.

What is your research? 

My research focuses on individual differences in cognitive skills and science and math learning in early childhood. I am particularly interested in determining how cognition may influence the effectiveness of specific instructional approaches and materials to optimize learning. I am currently a member of the Learning, Education, and Development (LEAD) lab, directed by Dr. Emily Fyfe. Research in the LEAD lab focuses on the cognitive processes involved in thinking and learning about math and how different aspects of the learning environment can influence math learning.

How does technology help your research? What technology tools, resources, or programming languages are used in your lab, and what do you use them for? 

There are several ways we use technology to conduct our research. For example, we use various programs to create experimental stimuli and collect data online, such as PsychoPy, Pavlovia, Qualtrics, and Zoom. PsychoPy can be used to create experimental stimuli and tasks, and Pavlovia can be used to run experiments online and store collected data. Qualtrics can be used to create experimental stimuli and questionnaires and to collect data online. Finally, we have recently used Zoom in the lab to conduct remote study sessions with families during the ongoing pandemic. We also use various programs to prepare and analyze our data. For example, programs such as Datavyu can be used to code and transcribe video data. We also use FileMaker and Excel for data entry and cleaning. When the data is ready to be analyzed, we rely on statistical programs such as SPSS and R to conduct our analyses. We also use social media to disseminate and share our research findings from completed studies. Throughout the research process, we also rely on tools such as Slack and Zoom to ensure that lab members can efficiently communicate about ongoing research projects and conduct project meetings.

Do you have any advice for students looking to get involved with research? What advice do you wish you had been given when you first started in research? 

My advice would be to learn about the potential research opportunities available to you based on the research areas or topics that currently interest you. Don’t be afraid to ask one of your professors about potential opportunities or directly reach out to a faculty member who does research that interests you. Finding research opportunities based on your current research interests will allow you to learn more about that area of study while also learning about the general process of conducting research.

When I first started in research, I wish someone would have emphasized the importance of every step of the research process, big or small, to the overall goal of conducting research. It takes a long time for a study to be conducted, and research assistants often join projects at different stages of the research process. Therefore, it is helpful to understand how the current tasks you are working on fit into the study’s bigger picture. If possible, it is also beneficial to get experience with different tasks at various stages of the research process. Also, don’t hesitate to ask questions and to contribute your ideas as an undergraduate research assistant! Research is a collaborative process and finding ways to contribute to the various steps of the research process will enhance your learning and research experience.

How did you first get involved in research? 

I took an undergraduate developmental psychology course during my second year of college at the University of Virginia. I enjoyed hearing about classic developmental psychology experiments and wanted to learn more about how research was conducted. I asked my professor about opportunities to be involved in research in the developmental psychology labs in the department. I applied to be a research assistant in one of the labs she suggested and was offered a position. During my two years as an undergraduate research assistant, I realized that conducting research was something that I enjoyed and that I wanted to gain additional research experience after graduating. This led me to work as a lab manager of a developmental psychology lab at Georgetown for two years before applying and starting a doctoral program in developmental psychology at the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota.

If someone is interested in learning more about your work or getting involved, where can they learn more? 

If you are interested in learning more about the work we do in the Learning, Education, and
Development Lab, visit our website at https://leadlab.sitehost.iu.edu/index.html.

 

If you are a woman conducting research at IU and would like to be highlighted, or know someone else who may be interested in an interview, please reach out to mnsaxena@iu.edu! We hope to continue highlighting and celebrating women in academia throughout the year. We would love to hear from researchers at all levels (undergraduates through postdocs!) and from any field. 

If you are an incoming or current freshman woman at IU interested in getting involved in research, please consider applying to our Emerging Scholars Research Experience for Undergraduate Women program! CEWT will pair first-year and sophomore women of all majors with IU faculty mentors from across campus to conduct research in all disciplines in this year-long program. All projects actively use technology and/or computing and require NO previous experience. You can learn more about the program here. 

The Journey to Finding a Fulfilling Career Path

Posted on by cmcontos

Regarding securing an internship or full-time job, I am familiar with many experiences that can guide and align individuals into their goals. I believe that my journey to a full-time job began in preparation for my Freshman year of college. Due to having a wonderful, driven older sister that also went to Indiana University with an Informatics major, I always had someone guiding me through class scheduling, job recruiting, and resume building; if you do not have an experienced older sibling as I did, I would highly recommend searching for a mentor at IU! Fall semester of my freshman year of college, my sister pushed me to attend the career fair. I had no experience on my resume other than high school clubs, lifeguarding jobs, and extracurricular activities but she pushed me anyways to attend again and again. I attended every School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering career fair at Indiana University up until my senior year. This gave me the confidence to understand the lay of the land, how to shake hands, perfect my elevator pitch, find my professional business casual clothing style, and most importantly network with professionals for amazing opportunities. Working within The Center of Excellence for Women & Technology on the Women Who Code Team allowed me to further refine my professional presentation, teaching, and technical skills throughout my sophomore, junior, and senior years of college as well. 

Center of Excellence for Women & Technology, Women in red shirts smiling

Throughout my college career, I have worked through two separate internships for two different companies. By my sophomore year, my goal going into job recruiting was to secure an internship in the IT field for the summer of 2019. After completing many rounds of interviews, I secured an internship with Liberty Mutual Insurance as a Techstart Intern of Agent & Partner Technology Division on the Salesforce Solutions team. Had I ever worked with Salesforce internal systems before? Nope! Did I know anything about insurance? Nope! But what I did communicate to the Liberty Mutual recruiters was that I was passionate about technology, wanted to learn, and could supply value to their company. That was what got me that internship as one of the two Sophomores within that large intern class of Juniors and Seniors. Regarding the internship, I learned so much from the wonderful people I worked with, my manager, the other interns, and a lot about myself that summer. I found that you can learn something from every individual you come into contact with, that you benefit so much from sitting in on different team’s meetings, keeping a document of contact information from all employees you connect with is so valuable, and reaching out to someone new every day in the company. I completed the summer internship with high praise from my manager, my IU Capstone Credit finished, and an offer to return to the company.Interns standing in front of Liberty Mutual Sign in Indianapolis, IN Office

Furthermore, In fall 2019 I entered the recruitment process confident, prepared, and goal-oriented after completing my previous internship. The internship offers I received during my Junior year included McDonald’s, PwC, United Airlines, Target, Lowes, and Liberty Mutual Insurance. The recruitment process during my Junior year of college was much more intense than the year prior; candidates were more competitive, elevator pitches were sharpened, and a year of experience was added to everyone’s resume. In regard to the internship I decided to accept, the recruitment process was definitely unique. I found the McDonald’s internship as I was attending the Kelley School of Business’s career fair to talk to Salesforce. Next to Salesforce was the McDonald’s career fair booth. After chatting with Salesforce, I looked up McDonald’s internships available on my phone, found an IT internship, and walked to the line, and began talking to Emily, a McDonald’s recruiter. I received a Hirevue interview due 3 days later; after completing this interview and not hearing back from McDonald’s for weeks, I decided to make my next move. I began reaching out to every McDonald’s recruiter on LinkedIn explaining my incredible interest in this opportunity. Finally, one responded saying he would do what he could. The next day I received a second-round interview link and the recruiter I contacted on LinkedIn was the man interviewing me! The video interview call went swimmingly with a focus on behavioral questions. 

Weeks later, I received an email requesting that I attend a super-day of interviews in Chicago, IL at the newly renovated McDonald’s Corporate Global headquarters! They flew me out and placed me in a hotel close to the office for 3 days. The super days consisted of group interviews where we were observed, individual interviews, technical problem questions, plus tours, lunches, information sessions, and lots of time to network. Yet, out of all of my interviewing skills, I believe I was offered the internship due to creating a product redesign of the McDonald’s self-service kiosks! Before flying to Chicago, I spent time looking into problems with McDonald’s customer-facing technology. I found that the kiosks had a problem that when customers used the kiosk and their order included a drink, they paid at the kiosk then had to go up to the cash register to ask for a drink cup; this process created a flaw in the user experience as it is supposed to flow without a user going to the cash register. I created a simple product redesign image and recommendation document and printed out many copies to give to my interviewers who were impressed. McDonald's Logo

I worked remotely for McDonald’s Corporation as an intern within their Global IT Department as an Associate Technical Product Manager on the Artificial Intelligence Drive-Thru Team. I fell in love with McDonald’s fast-paced environment, passion for their customers, diversity, inclusion, and technology innovation. I learned so much from this experience of interning for McDonald’s through a virtual environment; I learned how to work as a Product Manager, reach out to professionally connect with individuals inside a company, think strategically, bridge communication between very technical and non-technical audiences, refine my presentation skills, plus so much more. I became incredibly involved with the McDonald’s Accessibility Team because I have a passion for inclusive design and had the chance to work on real McDonald’s Accessibility projects as well. 

My biggest takeaway from recruiting for jobs throughout my college career definitely would be to always be open to opportunities, regardless of if they check every box in your list of wants in a position. Additionally, never be afraid to apply for a job even if your experience is not mirroring the job requirements, skills, or description. Attend the information sessions to get your name in a company’s system and strike up a conversation with a speaker. Repay the kindness others have shown you in or outside of the workforce with a good deed to someone else; there can never be too much kindness going around. Connect with everyone, EVERYONE, on LinkedIn. Use your network, friends, family, the family of friends, all of it for that job! The biggest piece of advice would be to never stop learning; read new books, sign up for online short courses, or ask for mentorship! Employers want someone who continuously evolves and improves, not someone who halts their education after graduating. Find your passion and run like hell with it, life is too short not to.Girl jumping in front of McDonald's Green Sign in Sedona, Arizona

Breaking the Coder Stereotype: My Storytelling Journey

Posted on by taraggar

Throughout college, it is not uncommon for you to develop that classic introduction spiel about yourself. It contains all the juicy details, like your major, year, and sometimes a hobby or two. Usually, for me, my introduction quickly includes the fact that I’m studying computer science and marketing, pursuing a dual degree that entails a lot of work and carries many stereotypes of both what a coder and business woman look like.

Yet, as I have advanced in my college career and looking towards my next chapter, I realize that there is one identity that always crosses my mind when it comes to what I want to be known for: Storyteller. A collector of people’s life stories and a connector among my peers to help bring their passions to life. It is likely to find me with a messy bun and cup of hot coffee writing away on a cloudy Saturday morning.

Photo by Thom Holmes on Unsplash

In addition, I don’t look like I’m at a desk all day coding. I admit to spending a good amount of time dressing up for the day, with the mentality that you never know what you’ll be doing really during the day – just be prepared for it. I usually am meeting up with a friend at a coffee shop or checking out a new restaurant. I dance to relieve stress. Since January, I’ve been learning Japanese. From the way I socialize to my passions that I talk about, I can almost understand the look of surprise that flits across one’s face when they realize that I’m a computer science student who teaches people how to code with a decent portion of my free time. Trust me, I almost did not see it coming too.

My journey into coding comes from the primary passion of mine that I mentioned: Storytelling. Now, as a kid, I loved putting things together and fixing things around the house with that puzzle-solver attitude my mother instilled in me. I picked things up fast. So, when I came across an online community of writers who were creating all these types of stories and characters, I was ready to learn whatever I had to in order to join. As I got involved further, I realized that these members were not simply writing quality stories together, they were using code and design to bring these characters to life by creating these beautiful character profiles that contained all the details of these imaginative figures. We were constantly pushing each other to come up with new layouts, push the boundaries of our knowledge, and learn skills that would elevate our creative writing roleplay game. Technology was bringing our stories to life.

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

It was not till a friend of mine, whose passion was computers, had caught me in action at lunch. As he watched the code leave my fingertips, he pointed it out. “You should join AP computer science with me,” he said, nudging me then. I remember looking at him, raising my eyebrows. Till then, my perception of what qualified as coding was very different. I knew my brother coded, and it would look interesting on his screen, but I always just assumed that it would never be something I would actually do.

Before I could answer, he pointed to my phone, “You already are coding. You’d be good at it.”

That was the power of an ally. In that instant, a new story was starting in my mind, one that featured myself as an unconventional type of coder. The rest was history from there. After the class, those puzzle-solving skills and simple desire to learn technology carried me through and I found myself searching for colleges that would enable me to pursue that passion. As time carried on, I realized something. In the past, before my eyes were opened, I had fallen victim to a harmful stereotype. These days, coders are not isolated beings hacking away in a cold basement lost in their own world. No, these days, coders are changing the world, constantly innovating and collaborating with each other – each with their unique style and passions. As a woman in technology, I was no exception. I could make an impact on the world, just like they can.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Even more, I am in a unique position at this time of the field right now, where my impact can really help pave the way for other women to follow. By mentoring, growing, and staying true to myself, I can continue to break the misconceptions that are placed upon those involved with technology. There is no one type of coder, and that fact alone empowers us to show up 100% at the table. Regardless of what you major in or what school you went to, your passions and experiences are valued and when we accept that, we can make change. When I walk into the room, with heeled boots and a sleek blazer, it may not be the conventional image of a computer scientist. Yet, for me, that is what I envision for myself as a woman in technology. Create your own story and use technology to bring it to life.

Biases in the design of Everyday things

Posted on by pasach

If you’re on this blog, I’m assuming you’re familiar with biases in the field of technology, especially in the workplace. We all have seen diversity programs at companies trying to bring about more equity. However, have you ever thought about how a lack of gender diversity in the workplace can lead to products and services that largely ignore the needs of women? I did not know how much it existed until one day I started noticing that the Google and Amazon voice assistants were much better at recognizing my male friend’s prompts and couldn’t understand mine. I decided to dig deeper into this and realized that gender biases in product design are a much bigger concern. I hope this blog brings awareness and we are able to highlight the issue and consciously make an effort to change the thought process.

So let’s start by looking at the logos of a few period tracking apps. What do you see in common? Well, they all are pink with floral patterns. Can you think of a reason why?

Logos of period tracking applications with shades of pink and flower illustrations
Logos of period tracking applications with shades of pink and flower illustrations

 

Most people would say because it’s meant for women and wouldn’t even realize the embedded stereotypes associated with it. Ever since we’re born, based on our gender, it’s decided if we’ll be dressed in pink or blue, or whether we would play with dolls or cars. And these stereotypes continue to develop over the years and have also slowly taken shape in technology & design. These might be small stereotypes, to begin with, but almost all fields including technology, design, and even medicine have deeply embedded gender biases that need immediate attention.

Design of Seatbelts in Cars

Let’s start with a few examples of the design of everyday things like a car. Did you know safety features like seatbelts and airbags have been designed for an “average male body”? According to consumer reports [1], Women are at a much higher risk of injury with seatbelts and airbags simply because their body types were not accounted for while designing these features. This is even worse for pregnant women who are not thought of while designing a standard seatbelt.

The average man dummy (50th percentile) v/s the average email dummy (5th percentile) Sources: Humanetics and CDC NHANES
The average man dummy (50th percentile) v/s the average email dummy (5th percentile) Sources: Humanetics and CDC NHANES

“The problem today is that most car companies design to the test, and no further,” says David Friedman, vice president of advocacy at Consumer Reports and a former NHTSA administrator. Friedman believes that regimented, overly predictable testing leads to engineering that simply checks boxes, rather than a more holistic approach to safety design. “That’s why the next generation of crash tests needs to include more representative dummies and some randomness, putting different dummies in different seats across the tests. Then automakers would finally have to protect everyone equally.”

Source: NHTSA Injury Vulnerability and Effectiveness of Occupant Protection Technologies for Older Occupants and Women
Source: NHTSA Injury Vulnerability and Effectiveness of Occupant Protection Technologies for Older Occupants and Women
Female Drivers are 17% more likely to be killed in a car crash and 73% greater odds of being injured. Sources: NHTSA and the journal Traffic Injury Prevention
Female Drivers are 17% more likely to be killed in a car crash and 73% greater odds of being injured. Sources: NHTSA and the journal Traffic Injury Prevention

 

According to Astrid Linder, Ph.D., Professor & Safety Researcher, One way that automakers and safety advocates are addressing inequality in the short term is by developing computer models that can simulate how human bodies of different shapes, sizes, or sexes react in a crash. This approach is already in use by some automakers, including Toyota and Volvo. Volvo developed a computer model of a midsized pregnant female in the early 2000s and worked with Chalmers University to create a computer model of an average-sized female to develop its whiplash protection system — the very same one that protects males and females equally.

Voice Assistants

Now let’s talk about voice assistants. I’m sure you all are aware of Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana & Apple’s Siri, and even had a conversation with at least one of them before. But have you ever wondered why all these systems have female names & voices by default? They even often have a submissive & flirtatious tone.

The problem, according to a report released in 2019 by Unesco, stems from a lack of diversity within the industry that is reinforcing problematic gender stereotypes. [4]

Comparison of Siri, Cortana, Alexa & Google Assistant as female-only with their characteristic descriptions. Source: Architectural Digest
Comparison of Siri, Cortana, Alexa & Google Assistant as female-only with their characteristic descriptions. Source: Architectural Digest

 

Embedded in their humanized personalities, are generations of problematic perceptions of women. These assistants are capable of influencing interactions with real women, the report warns. As the report puts it, “The more that culture teaches people to equate women with assistants, the more real women will be seen as assistants — and penalized for not being assistant-like.” [4]

This bias coded into technologies is often unconscious and has been embedded in not just voice assistants but other technologies like facial recognition that misidentifies Black faces. [5] Joy Buolamwini beautifully describes the issue in this poetry that I highly encourage you should watch.

What can help?

To start, there are a few things that we all can do to move towards a more equitable world.

  1. Identifying Bias: The first step towards fixing the biases is identifying them. As we know, the biases are so deeply embedded that it’s often unconscious and overlooked. Consciously seeking those biases and identifying them will help us figure out ways to address them.
  2. Research on Diverse data sets: Since products and technology have been created from years of biased historical data, the next step would be to bring in a more diverse data set for research. It’s essential that we research diverse groups of people and account for not just gender differences but also other factors such as age, people of color, and disabilities.
  3. Building Structural Equity: Having Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts in organizations that encourage equity and promote inclusivity would be a great way to begin. Being transparent about opportunities, and encouraging diverse groups to pursue them will help build structural equity.
  4. Having a seat at the table: Last but certainly not least, change begins from the leadership level and having diverse groups of people represent leadership and making decisions, will help bring in a huge impact.

“Recognize that diversity is not simply a tick box to get past: It is the key to designing products that really work for everyone. And collect sex-disaggregated data, from the very beginning of every process!”

References:

  1. The Crash Test Bias: How Male-Focused Testing Puts Female Drivers at Risk
  2. The Gender Bias Behind Voice Assistants
  3. Siri and Alexa Reinforce Gender Bias, U.N. Finds
  4. MIT Researcher Exposing Bias in Facial Recognition Tech Triggers Amazon’s Wrath
  5. How to Make Artificial Intelligence Less Biased
  6. Three Steps to Make Tech Companies More Equitable

Design and Healthcare -A Conjunction Needed to Combat Bias in Medicine

Posted on by frafiqui

Bias in Healthcare Bias in Healthcare

What does that even mean?

Human beings come from every corner of the land, having a variety of aspirations and their own set of beliefs & experiences. Unfortunately, this very diversity amongst them has over time made it a cause of divide and discrimination. This discrimination restricts humans from getting access to even basic amenities like healthcare. Today’s healthcare system poses a problem of its kind. In most developed countries, healthcare aid promises to deliver the best medical attention and support but there are certain major flaws in the system. Medical Bias is one such area where the entire healthcare vertical requires a reboot.

In such a scenario, the struggle with a chronic illness does not only remain a struggle for one’s health but also becomes a fight against the system to maintain dignity. There have been several instances where the medical community has subconsciously intensified the pain that their patients go through by downplaying their experience or even invalidating them completely. According to reports, in many cases, women having symptoms of fatal illness have been misdiagnosed as being clinically depressed, while people of color are often differentiated based on their “biological differences”.

Case study #1

Sexual Bias: A woman’s 15-year Journey to Diagnosis

Stephanie Tait, a 34-year-old woman who lives in California, Bay Area has been one of the victims of medical bias. She struggled right from her teens when she was in high school until 2016, with no proper diagnosis. She believes that her chronic illness and multiple health issues are a result of her delayed diagnosis. She claimed seeking medical help from over a hundred doctors but most of them reacted with a biased answer to her illness. When she was in high school and she started facing some initial symptoms of the disease, she decided to visit the hospital. Her doctor remarked her as ‘too pretty to be sick’. As she grew up, her illness became worse. Suddenly she started getting injured very frequently, her joints started coming out of the sockets and ligaments started tearing apart after doing normal household chores. Doctors said that it is a way her body is reacting to depression and she is sick because she is clinically depressed (TODAY.com, 2019).

“When I asked about further testing for Lyme disease, I was met with questions about my diet. When I described my increased dependence on my cane, I was questioned about my exercise routine. I left the appointment with handouts on why this doctor believed most everyone should maintain a vegan diet” — Stephanie

After 15 years of suffering from a chronic illness and worsening symptoms, she saw more doctors than she could count. Stephanie’s case is not a unique one. Anecdotally, women have shared terrifying incidents for many years about their experiences with doctors. Amidst all this, an important question arises — What can we do to bridge the divide in the medical industry and make the patients feel heard?

Case study #2

Racial Bias: How a person’s skin color determines the course of their treatment

Black Lives Matter
Racial Bias | Image by Clay Banks

 

One of the recent studies by Yale researchers reveals that there exists a racial inequality among the patients who are prescribed opioids, a form of painkiller. Black patients who are consuming opioids for a long course of medical prescription are more likely to be charged with illegitimate drug use and have their medications discontinued. The study revealed during the first six months of the therapy, very few patients were held guilty for such an offense but the number of black patients was twice as likely as whites for undergoing the test to be proven guilty. Another research in ‘Trends in Racial Disparities for Injured Patients Admitted to Trauma Centers’ reveals that the gap in the quality of treatment and care between black and white trauma patients has not narrowed down over the past 10 years. The authors conducted a study on 191,887 patients admitted to various trauma centers. The result of the study highlighted that trauma centers with a higher concentration of black patients i.e. more than 20 percent of black patients had a 45 percent higher rate of death as compared to other trauma centers that have a lower ratio of blacks admitted to them.

All the above findings lead to a common conclusion, an individual’s skin color leads them to be treated differently for medical diagnosis and treatment. This does not mean that all the doctors and the caretakers are biased. What it means is that humans have biases and doctors are after all humans. These biases crawl into the system and lead to heart-wrenching practices and tragic results. Among such testing circumstances, it is felt that there is a lack of empathy for the patients without judging them based on their caste, religion, creed, color, or sex. Such a system where the patient’s voice remains unheard and their pain remains unfelt is a clear violation of the mission and duty of the medical profession. This calls out for a need for bridging the medical gap for patients and a more inclusive system that not only is based on medical ethics and empathy but is unbiased and sensitive to their needs.

Moving towards the solution

Paying attention to the above two cases where proper healthcare was denied to patients owing to factors beyond their control, one can observe that the ideal solution would be one that focuses on the following problem areas: (1) The patient feels that they are diagnosed and treated without being heard, (2) The treatment flow is from a doctor to the patient which feels like a passive methodology, (3) A lack of awareness and empathy among the healthcare system is observed. Knowing the problem is not enough, understanding the patient’s mental and physical state is also equally important. In light of these considerations, the best solution would be to facilitate the active involvement of patients and medical practitioners during treatment and decision making.

 

The intersection of medicine and design | Image by Jacob Dwyer The intersection of medicine and design | Image by Jacob Dwyer

1. Patient-Centered Participatory Design: An Approach to solving medical bias

Patient-Centered participatory design is an approach of involving patients, doctors, and supervisors as stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem. There has been a long term notion that doctors are experts in the healthcare system. The patient-centered participatory design considers patients as a maker, expert, and collaborator. Considering both patients and caregivers as experts, understanding health problems will untangle the reasons behind the medical bias.

2. Bring patients to the table and treating them as equal contributors to the healthcare ecosystem

Patient engagement is one of the key strategies for a better healthcare system. By increasing patient engagement, we can value and validate patients’ needs and feelings. This will create an environment of trust and comfort for both the caregivers and the patients. The caregivers will not only be able to understand the patient’s symptoms and effectively diagnose them, but they will also develop empathy towards the patient. Letting the patient drive conversation about what problems need to be identified and prioritized will help develop a feeling of trust in the healthcare ecosystem. This feeling of mutual trust and understanding might be very helpful in bringing down the number of incidents of medical bias, as the caregivers will have a better understanding of patients and what they are going through.

 

Patients and Doctors and active collaborators | Photo by Ali Yahya
Patients and Doctors and active collaborators | Photo by Ali Yahya

3. Bias training as a part of the collaborative design process

Fostering patient involvement in a healthcare ecosystem to combat medical bias should not be limited to a one-to-one interaction between the patient and caregiver. Training sessions should be conducted to make everyone aware of the conscious and subconscious bias, social stereotypes, and common issues faced by people. Feedbacks of improvements from both caregivers and caretakers will cultivate a strong, cohesive, and close-knit relationship that will help reduce medical bias to a great extent.

4. Patients as a change agent in the process of co-design: Self advocation

Designing for a social change comes along with responsibility. As much as the other members of the healthcare ecosystem are held liable, we are also responsible for not accepting the bias and fighting against it. Stephanie Tait is an exemplar of fighting against all the odds. She believed that she was not mentally unstable but instead physically unfit, and got herself diagnosed with the right disease. Though it took 15 years for her to get diagnosed, her story is an inspiration in itself to many as it motivates them to keep striving. No matter how difficult the caretaker is, we should try to give them polite feedback such as “This is not working for me doctor!”, “Could we try it this way?”, “I do not know if that is normal but I have gotten worse since the last time we met.” or “Here is something that might suit me better and would help you achieve what you want.”

Creating a shared understanding is a responsibility that needs to be taken up by everyone in the ecosystem to battle medical bias in the existing society.

We will no longer be surprised that a community endeavor where people wanting to tackle an issue as massive as this can result in a more inclusive healthcare facility for all.

From Neuroscience to Comprehensive Design: My journey to finding my passion

Posted on by yibcheng

Just like everyone else in college, I contemplated changing my major countless times. What do I REALLY want to do? How’s the job market? Will I be unemployed and live in my parent’s house forever?

It’s scary to make a decision at 18/19 and have it basically shape the rest of your life. While what you major in doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s definitively the career that you will pursue, but it does have an immediate impact on the near future and experience.

This is an image of medical supplies.
Photo by Ibrahim Boran on Unsplash

Allies for Equity Tips

Posted on by kpratche

Allyship is a journey and making mistakes is inevitable. The important thing is that when you make a mistake, you apologize genuinely, learn from it, and change your behavior.

Here are three simple tips to be an effective ally:

  1. Use Inclusive Language.
    Inclusive language is language that is free from words, phrases or tones that reflect prejudiced, stereotyped or discriminatory views of particular people or groups. It is also language that often inadvertently excludes people from being seen as part of a group. The language we use can have a large impact on individuals’ experiences. It is important to use language that provides a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Inclusive and appropriate language changes to adapt to current events and people’s needs. Words that were used in the past may not be to the correct ones to use in the present. For example, a phrase like “you guys” is gendered and would be better said as “everyone” or “you all.
  2. Pronounce their names correctly.
    “Time and time again, our users tell us that there’s a subtle but real sense of alienation that happens when your name is mispronounced,” says Praveen Shanbhag, who serves as CEO of NameCoach. Although mispronouncing someone’s name may not seem like a big deal, it can be frustrating to the other person, especially if the name is often mispronounced. If you are unsure about how to pronounce somebody’s name, politely ask. It is okay to say something like, “I am not sure how to say your name yet. Would you please say it again? I want to make sure I get it right.” Once you understand how to say their name correctly, use it often so that it becomes easier and easier for you to remember and say.
  3. Don’t Interrupt.
    Did you know that many studies have found that men interrupt others twice as often as women do and are nearly three times as likely to interrupt a woman as they are a man? A recent George Washington University study found that men interrupted 33 percent more often when they spoke with women than when they spoke with other men. Suggestion to be more inclusive: Pause before you interrupt someone and consider the implications. You might ask yourself why you are interrupting someone: Are you seeking clarity on an issue—if so, make sure you give the floor back to the speaker after asking the question. Are you trying to help yourself remember something key? Then take notes instead. If you see it happening what can you do? Steer the conversation back to the person who was interrupted by saying something like, “I’d like to hear the rest of what Katie was saying before we move on…”

This Allies for Equity Blog Post was written by Jake Taylor, Lead Intern. Jake is a junior at Indiana University, pursuing a B.A. in journalism. He is also minoring in gender studies. Jake works as the Male Advocacy Lead Intern for the Center, and hopes to make a meaningful impact on equity issues in his role. Jake is a Resident Assistant at Eigenmann Resident Hall, a radio host for WIUX, and an executive board member of the club Reporters Without Borders.

photo of Jake Taylor

Allies for Equity is a team of undergraduate men within the Center that promotes and supports efforts toward gender equity at Indiana University. Our group works to learn about the challenges of women in technology and how to use this knowledge and our identity to raise awareness and combat negative influences that perpetuate the men-dominated culture in technology.

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