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Insights from ‘Designing for inclusivity with WhatsApp’s product designers’
Thoughts on the role of empathy in design and leadership
Design at Meta released an article featuring an interview with VP, Head of WhatsApp Design Idit Y., Product Design Manager Sheta C., and Product Design Director Cat N.
In the article, the three design leaders discuss designing for inclusivity, design leadership, and the future of WhatsApp.
I took away some valuable insights from the interview and wanted to share my thoughts on the topics that were talked about.
How does working with emerging markets shape the design challenge?
“…what makes designing for WhatsApp so incredible is creating something that is universal and inclusive, because so many people around the world use it, and their lives are often very different from what we, the designers, experience.” — Sheta
Develop empathy with a diverse set of users
People live in their own little bubbles. We are familiar with what we know and have experienced, but we might not be aware of or understand how other people live.
As designers, it’s necessary to develop empathy with our users in order to truly understand their needs and problems. Especially when users come from different backgrounds, cultures and experience levels, designing for inclusivity and accessibility become utmost priorities.
“One key goal for us is to make sure that we’re inclusive from a language standpoint.” — Sheta
