Weeknote #670: This is the start
The backdrop to this workweek has of course been the widespread protests against police brutality and systemic racism in the US and across Europe, including here in Helsinki.
Last week, I listened to a podcast, which, in referring to the breakup of the Soviet Union 30 years ago, said “the tempo of history had sped up.” That’s where it feels like we are now — history’s drummer has picked up the pace, and it seems like this high BPM is going to continue for quite some time.
We’re in the middle of a global pandemic that’s killed almost 400,000 people and forced the majority of everyone else into isolation for months.
In the middle of this, protests for justice and against inequality — the most widespread protests this side of the 1960s — have emerged in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis while in police custody. These protests are unlike any protests against inequality before, because they’re happening across the globe.
Nothing happens to just one country anymore. There’s no more “your problem,” because these events affect all of us. They are our problems.
This is true of the climate crisis, and it’s true of systemic racism, sexism, and discrimination. These are not new problems. Racism in the US is called America’s Original Sin. India experiences tens of thousands of cases of caste-related violence every year. These are just two of many, many examples.
We are not equal until everyone is equal. So we have an obligation to recognize our privilege and our place in this, and we have an obligation to do something about it. Nordkapp is financially supporting Ruskeat Tytöt, and we encourage others to concretely support worthwhile organizations for this cause.
It extends to our organization and into our work too. We can build actively anti-racist organizations that reject business practices that are implicitly discriminatory. The Quartz piece linked above is a good starting point.
As designers, researchers, facilitators, we must ensure the services, platforms, products, etc., that we create foster equal experiences for users. We need to check our biases, and our various privileges. We need to champion inclusive design now more than ever. We have a responsibility that is embedded in our influence on experiences.
What else happened this week?
Topias has been facilitating and following the usability tests of B2B shopping flow and learning a lot.
Virpi is deep diving into new opportunities.
Valeria is eagerly waiting to fully move to Figma.
Sari is having a deep dive to the night-time travel concepts.
Teppo: School’s out for summer, but job is not.
This week has been quite busy for Sami with starting new things and laying base for building new, exciting futures. Also location starts to lose it’s meaning — it’s wonderful to be able to make virtual, meaningful connections with people literally from the other side of the world.
Shakti’s been learning a ton about the shoe industry and the beauty of foot-sizing that drives it all.
Five things we read this week:
- 8 Minutes and 46 Seconds: How George Floyd Was Killed in Police Custody from The New York Times — This well-designed and researched video from the Times reconstructs the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death, covering a catalytic event in a compelling, and informative way. (Warning: graphic)
- The Guide to Allyship — A short and impactful collection of how to be an ally to people of color, and how it matters. (Spoiler: It matters a helluva lot).
- What removing profile photos taught me about design’s ability to reduce discrimination from Benjamin Evans of Airbnb at this year’s Interaction 20 conference — The results Evans and his team achieved through efforts to counter implicit bias on Airbnb’s platform are promising, and the result of a massive amount of research and experimentation.
- Honor George Floyd by Supporting Black Design — from The Design Vanguard. Consider donating to these organizations and support a better bedrock for the future.
- How to build an actively anti-racist company from Quartz — It’s not a roadmap, but it’s a start.
Weeknotes are what happened at our studio this week. This week’s weeknote was curated by Liam Turner.
Liam is a futures-focused designer at Nordkapp, who’s all about building a better one.
