1 of 26

2021 Action Plan

Inclusive Design

APRIL 2021

2 of 26

Agenda Page

Vision Setting
Defining Inclusive Design
Practicing Inclusive Design
Inclusive Design Principles
Preview of Detailed Application
Action Plan

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

2

3 of 26

Citi Business Partners

Kathleen Struif (Technology - Programming)

EJ Klopper (Technology - Programming)

Johana Henao (GCB Web Prod & Support)

Tony A. Moreno (GCB Digital Design Engineering))

Angela Goyer (GCB Dig Design/ Copy)

Chris Baier (GCB Dig Design/ Copy)

Sarah Schwartz (GCB Digital Product Mgmt.)

Rachel Carpenter (GCB Digital Product Mgmt.)

Jasmin Thomas (US Business Partnerships)

Eileen Miller (Global Diversity & Talent Mgmt. )

Valla Vakili (Project & Program Mgmt. CV-Studio)

Cesar Castaneda (Technology Developer)

Ian Cropp (Brand Lead Analyst, Paralympics Relationship Mgr.)

Jeni Yaghoubi (Brand Sr. Grp. Mgr., DEI Strategy)

Charmaine Pruitt (Technology Developer)

Michele Boutwell (Digital PM Group Mgr.)

Desiree Gibbs (Digital Design Eng. Sr Analyst)

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

3

Claire Guerriero (Senior Recruiter)

Dominique Butler (Technology Business Analyst)

Hao Kong (Technology Apps Dev Sr. Programmer Analyst)

Harris Robinowich (Technology Digital Design Eng.)

Ian Iversen (Technology Digital Design Eng.)

Leslie Hayes (Product Mgmt. & Dvpmt. Product Specialist)

Trey Sager (Dig Design Copy Lead Analyst)

Kris Frazier (Web Prod & Support Sr Grp Mgr.)

Rachel Carpenter (Product Mgmt. & Dvpm Sr. Group Mgr.)

Amy Hearon (Market Research Sr. Grp. Mgr.)

Justin McCoy (Market Delivery Specialist)

Jennifer Heinz (IT Business Unit Sr. Grp. Mgr.)

Kara McCain (GCB Programming)

Andrew Vermeulen (GCB Programming)

Kim Marsh (Global Diversity & Talent Mgmt. )

Laura Satterly (Global Mktg. Integrat)

David Boardman (Digital Exp. Sr. Group Mgr.)

Blake Ingram (Digital PM Sr. Mgr.)

Lizz Yeh (Program Mgmt.)

Ryan Rodriguez (Web Prod. & Support Analyst)

Wagner DePaula (Creative Services Dept. Grp. Mgr.)

Danielle Kapovic (Talent & Diversity Analyst)

Jennifer Shuang (Digital Exp. Grp. Mgr.)

Titi Cole (Managing Director Ops Sr Function Grp. Mgr.)

Riley Stuart (Managing Director Ops & Technology).)

Gregory Lewis (Marketing Research)

Aditi Mahadevan (Talent & Diversity Func. Grp. Mgr.)

Karan Scharma (Talent & Diversity Grp. Mgr.)

Deb Waters (Apps Dev. Func. Grp. Mgr.)

Michele Balco (IT Bus Unit Sr. Group Mgr.)

Pat Browne (Legal Sr. Program Mgr.)

Sarah Kerner (Associate General Counsel)

Geneva Johnson (Associate General Counsel)

Affinity Relationship Managers

4 of 26

We are out to cultivate a new culture, a revolution of kindness.

We believe inclusion isn’t confined to a set of numbers or quotas, it’s a way of being and creating. It’s creating an environment of value and recognition that empowers people to be their best selves.

We are ready to make an impact that reverberates through an entire industry.

And if we’re honest, we’re out to change the world.

5 of 26

What is Inclusive Design?

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

5

Inclusive Design in·clu·sive | \ in-ˈklü-siv -ziv \ de·sign | \ di-ˈzīn \

Design that considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, race, culture, gender, age and other forms of difference. - Microsoft

Inclusive design is not designing one thing for all people, but designing in a diversity of ways to participate so that everyone has a sense of belonging. - Susan Goltsman

Inclusive Design is a tool of equity.

6 of 26

Inclusive Design is Often Misunderstood

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

6

Design Maturity

Values

It’s NOT universal design or accessibility.

It’s more than that.

It’s about intersectional equity & belonging.

Inclusive design is a tenet of a mature design practice.

It guides how we operate as a design organization. It requires us to look at what we value as well as the value we provide.

Inclusive Design

Accessibility

Universal

7 of 26

What is Inclusive Design to us?

8 of 26

We design experiences that establish a sense of belonging, spaces where all people feel safely empowered to invest and grow.

We hold ourselves acutely accountable for putting work into the world that is intentionally intersectional and radically equal.

We are educated, empathetic, and uncompromising in our designs, striving every day to create experiences that

welcome and respect all who interact with them.

9 of 26

The Balance of Practicing Inclusive Design

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

9

Our Customer’s Experience

Our Practices & Processes

Our Team Culture

Our Collective Purpose & Values

All Citi Customer Interactions

Brand Assumptions

Competitive Messaging

Customer’s Environment

Competitive Experiences

Equitable Pay

Company Policies & Communications

Company-wide Community

Career Progression

Partners across

Business Lines

Customer

Citi

Area of Impact

10 of 26

How do we make this work?

We develop a shared a level of expectations and an actionable set of tools that is second to none in creating experiences that are not only radically inclusive, but universally accessible.

We know it’s not enough to say we believe in diversity and inclusion, we must enact it every day in real, tangible ways in how we do everything.

11 of 26

Applying an Inclusive Lens to Our Design Process

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

11

DISCOVER

SYNTHESIZE

IDEATE

FOCUS

BUILD

DEPLOY

RESEARCH &

DISCOVERY

Develop a diverse and focused panel

Analyze potential questions for bias

Synthesize data without white-washing

Put research into play, with considerations of representation

Create content plan with specific plan around who we are talking to and how

Define copy vernacular

Begin consideration and development of accessible assets

APP

DEVELOPMENT

STRATEGY &

PLANNING

Review data for potential marginal cases

Develop plan for addressing margins

Double check for bias

CONCEPT &

DEFINITION

Refine language

Review interactions for micro aggressions

Refine accessible assets

Write additional notations as needed for guidance

Implementation of accessible experience

Test with diverse audiences who use assistive technology

DETAIL

DESIGN

INSTALL &

MONITOR

Review KPIs and iterate for reach and inclusion

12 of 26

Developing the Daily Practice

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

12

We develop a shared a level of expectation and an actionable set of tools that is second to none in creating experiences that are not only radically inclusive, but universally accessible.

Examples

Define and populate Inclusive Design Steering Board and Working Group
Open office hours to discuss questions/concerns
Confluence resource page of links and tools

Encourage teams to add ideas of how their own processes could adjust

Include Inclusive Design (ID) considerations in regular discussions/presentations around ongoing projects
Build transparency across teams

Pull quotes from testing that show how ID affects client experience and share with team
Discuss successes as well as misses - create conversations around when we can do better

13 of 26

Questions We Ask

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

13

We begin the proper consideration of experiences that differ from our own by asking some questions – of ourselves and our designs.

Examples

Why are we choosing/doing/designing/building this?
What challenge are we approaching?
Who is centered?
Who benefits?
Who is left out?
Are we making a specific choice based on our own experience without considering someone else’s?
Are we designing out of habit? Established process? Convenience?

14 of 26

Inclusive Design Model

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

14

Inclusive design is both a mindset and a method. It’s a set of principles to guide how we think and a set of practices to guide how we work.

“Nothing About Us Without Us”
Design at the Margins
Be Open and Flexible
Expand Beneficial Impact

LONG-TERM GOALS

SHORT-TERM ACTIONS

IMMEDIATE INITIATIVE:

Ask Why

“Nothing About

Us Without Us”

Be Open & Flexible

Design at

the Margins

Expand

Beneficial Impact

Principles

15 of 26

Principle 1: “Nothing About Us Without Us”

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

15

Invite a diversity of people with a broad range of needs, preferences, interests and skills into the design process. In so doing, weaken the distinction between audience and designer.

Near-Term Actions

Remember “words create worlds”
Test with the right audience throughout the process
Use diverse research recruitment screeners
Don’t assume identities, disclose or ask
See disability as mismatch between needs and designs

Long-Term Goals

Use behavioral personas not demographic personas
Co-Design; design with people not for people
Introduce humility to our empathy
Consider personal, institutional and generational trauma
Acknowledge systemic power and privilege

16 of 26

How to Best Practices: Remember “Words Create Worlds”

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

16

Directives

Use plain language

Write in the second person (you)
Use simple verbs
Avoid jargon, slang, idioms, regionalisms or acronyms

Reduce bias

Use people-first language as opposed to identity-first language
Use neutral pronouns (they/them/theirs)
Use humans for language translation
Use inclusive terms (blocklist not blacklist)
Challenge your language and the biases embedded in them (historically underinvested not minority/marginalized/vulnerable)
Avoid the use of ableist language

Questions to Consider

Do you assume your audience speaks the dominant language, English? How could your design improve if you didn’t make that assumption?

Would a queer, non-binary or trans person feel excluded by this language?

Do you need to specify someone’s race, ethnicity, age, gender, sex, ability, etc.? What does doing that communicate?

Does your audience of focus have a ‘problem’ you need to solve? Or do they face challenges due to systemic inequities?

Are you thinking of your audience of focus as beneficiaries of your designs? Or are you thinking of them as co-creators of their future?

Resources/Tools

Hemingway Readability App

Gender-bias Calculator

American Psychological Association Guidelines for Reducing Bias

Disability Language Style Guide

Ableist Phrases & Alternatives

The Designer’s Critical Alphabet

17 of 26

Principle 2: Design at the Margins

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

17

The 80/20 rule is exclusionary. We can’t always meet needs in just one product or service. Specialist products and services might be necessary.

Near-Term Actions

Integrate accessibility from the start
Focus on functional needs and preferences — not limitations
Design for adaptability and flexibility — allow for configuration and choice
Design for uncertainty — don’t lock things in too early
See disability as mismatch between needs and designs

Long-Term Goals

Design for the 99%, know when we can’t

18 of 26

Principle 3: Be Open and Flexible

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

18

Have an open, collaborative, multi-voice design practice. Hold ideas loosely.

Near-Term Actions

Collaborate — use teams for complex tasks
Be open to being wrong
Work openly — document thinking and share transparently
Expand viewpoint by seeking perspectives from those that are different from us — Hold space for difficult conversations

Long-Term Goals

Facilitate inclusively — take turns leading
Work flexibly — acknowledge the whole individual and their life duties
Communicate multimodally (video, text, audio, etc.)

19 of 26

Principle 4: Expand Beneficial Impact

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

19

Think beyond scope and profit; consider broader impact on people and the planet.

Near-Term Actions

Design humbly — our designs aren’t for us
Design for privacy — give people control
Don’t assume financial literacy
Acknowledge bias and how it shows up in our work and lives

Long-Term Goals

Consider unintentional social impact of design decisions
Engage in the design community; with less experienced designers
Consider the cost of carbon emissions, energy and waste impacts of the products and services we design

20 of 26

So, What’s Our Focus for the Next Few Months?

(and beyond)

21 of 26

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

Our Plan (April – June)

Inclusive Design Customer Project 01

21

Our Goals

Define a learning process that helps Citi design with a diverse audience of focus

Build Citi's knowledge of Inclusive Design and how it can be practiced, by piloting a customer-facing project that puts its principles to use

Start to identify KPIs we can use to create a baseline for what we want to accomplish with Inclusive Design

Identify internal sponsors for the work, so we can put it in Citi's sprint roadmap

Happening in parallel: Continue to build internal partnerships that help us create a collaborative plan of inclusion

22 of 26

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

Our Plan (April – June): Areas of Focus

Inclusive Design Project 01

22

Onboarding & Growth
The evolution of Access Checking

BUSINESS GOALS

Change the core product messaging and offering to focus on the equitable treatment of our existing and potential customers
Examine processes and develop a shared toolkit to transform the business
Increase financial access and equity in historically underinvested communities

AUDIENCE OF FOCUS

Intentionally intersectional: Considers multiple identities, with a focus on who’s been most historically excluded from the domain or offering (e.g., Black, aging, disabled)

DOMAINS

23 of 26

Citi Design – Inclusive Design

Holistic Quarterly Goals

2021

23

Introduce Design Team to Inclusive Design Principles & Practices

Begin Inclusive Design Customer Project 01

Continue the conversation

Develop a list of accessible resources (Confluence?)
Start Inclusive Design office hours

Curate a central information hub

Include team info, individual interests, skills and last three projects.

Continue to develop contacts in Citi, plan for sharing/organizing Inclusive Design info

Define and populate Inclusive Design Council and Working Group

Q2 APRIL-JUNE

Continue Inclusive Design Customer Project 01

Begin to put together larger roadmap of Inclusive Design projects

Continue the conversation

Refine list of accessible resources (Confluence?)
Inclusive Design office hours
Meet with Inclusive Design Steering Committee and Working Group

Q3 JULY-SEPT

Organize projects and access to project-specific information

Develop Feedback/Learning loop

Examine vendor/agency partnerships

Assure they, too, are enforcing Inclusive and Equitable practices

Conduct inclusive design leadership training for managers

Provide specific resources for them to cultivate and empower their teams.

Q4 OCT-DECEMBER

24 of 26

As we grow and evolve, so will our plans and practice.

But some things will remain constant…

25 of 26

We will honor and respect our differences. In fact, we will celebrate our differences.

We will open our minds and hearts to learn and be more. We will be willing to make mistakes and learn to push through discomfort to grow.

We will not be afraid to support and protect each other and our audience.

We will stand up for what is right.

26 of 26

Thank You.