While Mastercard's work on this feature is outstanding, there are a few ways that they could have gone even further.
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For instance, Citi's communication efforts around their adoption of the True Name feature show a strong commitment to public awareness-building. They educate on the importance of name and identity with an interview with one of their LGBTQIA+ employees, share lessons on championing transgender representation from a LGBTQIA+ leader in the company and even offer a version of their product video with audio descriptions for users with visual impairments.
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Mastercard's CEO, however, has recognized with humility that they're only at the start of their journey and that there's still much work to do to bring about true equity.
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What we can learn from Mastercard?
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Sometimes inclusive product ideas can come from unlikely sources (in this case, a marketing idea turned into a product). But nothing can replace lived experience, as the idea came directly from someone in the LGBTQIA+ community.
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LGBTQIA+ inclusion isn't only relevant during Pride Month. It should be intentionally weaved into intersectional DEI strategies across business functions throughout the entire year.
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Conviction, courage and risk-taking are necessary elements of product inclusion efforts. Without the support and allyship from senior leadership, many inclusive products and services may never see the light of day.
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Compelling marketing campaigns can go a long way to raise awareness on the inequities faced by marginalized communities and to propel wider industry change. Cross-functional alignment across product, design and marketing teams is essential for greater impact for inclusive product launches.
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Resource Spotlight
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To better design for the LGBTQIA+ community, it's important to understand identity and lived experiences. Check out my LGBTQIA+ explainer and Introduction to Intersectionality that I published earlier this month as part of Pitch’s Inclusion at Work series. You'll find many other fantastic resources in the rest of the collection.
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I'll catch you all in two weeks for the next edition of the Inclusive Design Digest!
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In the meantime, don't hesitate to get in touch if you want to talk about more about how to approach inclusive design through a lens of intersectionality in your organization.
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Cheers, Sandra Camacho (aka Sandra By Design)
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LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Design Done Right | Inclusive Design Digest - 30 June 2022
Published almost 3 years ago • 3 min read
This week’s digest is arriving a week later than scheduled (my apologies!) as I was attending my sister’s wedding last weekend. But it’s serendipitously landing on the final day of Pride Month. Pride Month tends to bring out a flurry of support for the LGBTQIA+ community from corporations around the world. However, most efforts don't go beyond performative marketing and branding campaigns. Support tends to vanish after the end of June. And so in the spirit of learning, let's take a look at an...
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