1 of 17

A hands-on educational workshop to discover gender biases in web design

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

​

Dean of the School of Engineering

Computer Science and Engineering Professor

Head of the Telefónica-UC3M Chair on Women and Technology

​

2 of 17

Design for diversity as part of the social responsibility agenda in engineering��

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

3 of 17

Diversity in engineering

Differences matter (gender, race, culture, age, socioeconomic status, background …)

​

​

​

​

​

Differences are a valuable asset not a problem

​

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

4 of 17

Diversity in engineering

Adapted to different needs, expectations and contexts of use

Smarter designs

Solve relevant problems for society and promote equity instead of “isms” (sexism, racism…) and social divides

​

Social impact

Higher adoption

Products perceived as more useful, higher support and recommendations

​

​

Diverse teams are smarter (Rock and Grant, 2016)

Higher profitability: $12 trillion could be added to the global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality (McKinsey Global Insitute Report 2015)

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

5 of 17

Biased technologies

In 2011, the first female crash test dummies were required in safety testing, a process that started in the 60’s

​

Cities, spaces, clinical essays, technological devices and AI algorithms designed for an “average” user who’s usually a (white) man

​

The Henry Higgins Effect: Why can't a woman be more like a man?

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

6 of 17

Biased technologies

Same search (engineering teacher) on two different platforms 9/11/2021

​

​

​

​

​

​

Can you spot the difference?

​

​

​

​

​

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

7 of 17

Biased technologies

What can we do?

​

​

Integrate diversity as one of the fulcrums of responsible technology development

    • Raise awareness on the importance and responsibility to design for all (utility and efficacy)
    • Apply adequate methodologies to take into account different realities
          • user-centered design
          • participatory design and co-design

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

8 of 17

A hand—on workshop to identify gender bias in web design

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

9 of 17

Worshop description

AIM

Guide participants through a constructive discussion to detect and assess by themselves gender bias in web design

Cooperative approach to learn from confrontation and agreement. Through a mind-opening activity where participants learn to defend their own opinions and they get exposed to different views

METHOD

TASK

  • Analyze 2 versions of the websites of 3 products: kitchen robots, beers, and toys
  • Describe a different user persona for each website / version
  • Share and discuss results

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

10 of 17

First workshops

​

FIRST

SECOND

COURSE

User Interface

Multimedia Content

YEAR

3rd

1st

DEGREE

Computer Science and Engineering

Management of Information and Digital Contents

SCHOOL

Engineering

Humanities, Communication and Library Science

PARTICIPANTS

102

54

MODE

face-to-face

online (COVID)

USER PERSONAS

20 for each website

8 for each website

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

11 of 17

First workshops: participants

1st EDITION

2nd EDITION

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

12 of 17

First workshops: materials

1st EDITION

2nd EDITION

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

13 of 17

First workshops: evaluation

FIRST EDITION

SECOND EDITION

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

14 of 17

First workshops: more info

Onorati, T., & Díaz, P. (2021, September). Integrating Gender Inclusion in Web Design Courses through Design Workshops. In Proceedings of the XXI International Conference on Human Computer Interaction (pp. 1-8).

​

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

15 of 17

Since then…

The WS was run in:

​

    • 3 WS in the School of Engineering

​

    • 1 WS in the Faculty of Humanities, Communication and Library Science

​

    • 2 WS open to all students/teachers at the Gender Institute UC3M

​

All the participants identified the same user personas and gender biases despite the different backgrounds, points of view, attitudes…

​

At the end of the WS we talk with participants about other biases and ethical issues related to IT.

​

​

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

16 of 17

Lessons learnt

  • Since the WS is developed as an active learning process, participants are more engaged and perceive better the negative effects of biases
    • The bias is something participants discover and discuss with peers, not something the teacher said is a bias
  • Gender inclusion could be a complex topic to teach because it is affected by personal perceptions in a polarized society
    • Some students do not like being confronted with an uncomfortable truth
    • Cognitive bias (backfire effect)
    • They need to assume that technology is not neutral and the responsibility lies in the developers
  • Gender has to be included in our educational agenda

​

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

@MpalomaD

17 of 17

Thanks!!!!!!

Prof. Dr. Paloma Díaz

​

Computer Science and Engineering Professor

Dean of the Engineering School, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Director of the Telefónica-UC3M Women and Technology Chair

​