Jeanette Woods: Designing Tomorrow – Exploring Innovative and Inclusive Design Frameworks as a Woman in Tech and Business

In this episode, Jeanette Woods, a UX professional, design strategist, and CEO of Sketch and Form joins me to discuss human-centered and inclusive design principles. We discuss the importance of cultivating deep empathy for the people we design for, involving the community in the design process, and ensuring accessibility and functionality for all users. 

Jeanette shares insights on her proprietary framework, "Socially Conscious UX Design," and the design thinking process. We also explore the impact of AI on design, tackle challenges as a woman in a male-dominated industry and provide tips for aspiring designers and business owners looking to hire designers.

Timestamps:

[02:06] What drew Jeanette to design and start her own business

[03:58] Principles of a human-centered design

[06:58] Strategies for businesses to work with design elements holistically

[10:56] Benefits of gathering diverse perspectives in the design thinking process

[15:32] Advice for small businesses to implement design thinking

[18:20] The impact of AI on design

[22:19] How small business owners can incorporate inclusive design principles

[27:43] Resources for promoting inclusivity in business operations

[30:12] Challenges as a woman in a male-dominated industry

[32:51] Tips for aspiring designers and hiring designers

[36:16] How to find and connect with Jeanette

Quotes:

●     Human-centered design is about cultivating deep empathy for the people you're designing for. You do that through research or different ways of addressing design work in general.

●     We need to be able to serve the people and communities we're building these experiences for by connecting with them. We can't leave that corner because it will get us on the back end.

●     AI is essentially fed by algorithms that are fed by us, right? So, whatever we see going on in society will reflect in AI. It's just picking up on our behaviors collectively. 

●     Inclusive design is the approach of approaching things in an accessible way that is as accessible as possible for as many users and as understandable as possible for as many people as possible.

●     We need more people in this space that are more focused on community. We have moved into a very quantitative reductionist way of looking at things, which is also driven by a patriarchal approach.

●     It's okay to occupy multiple lanes, but I think understanding what most resonates with you is important. You can start doing that by getting information online.

Resources:

Connect with Jeanette on:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeanetteguardiola

Company Website: www.sketchandform.com  

Additional Resources

Nielsen Norman Group: https://www.nngroup.com/