By Rhea Gupta • MICA Social Design ’22 • Capstone Project
Supported by
for many flaws may lie in you,but tether that thought as the flawis the machine we assume so true
Digital technologies can reinforce and indeed accelerate inequalities. As the world becomes more digitally dependent, it threatens to exclude those that remain disconnected.
”In order to ensure full participation of all individuals and communities in our society, democracy and economy, we must provide equitable access to the information technology capacity needed for it.
This is known as Digital Equity.
This is why it matters.
Hi, I’m Rhea.
I am guilty of perpetuating digital inequalities through most part of my career.
I’d like to start us off with a little story from my land, my home, India. This one is based in the eastern state of Orissa. The many generations of Orissa’s Phirangia tribe earned their main source of livelihood through selling their craft of bamboo weaves and mats.
In the summer of 2017, I had the opportunity to design with this Bamboo community. One morning, the Government of India sanctioned a bamboo slivering machine for the community. The idea was to fasten the production by automating this task otherwise done by hand. I watched as the villagers looked around, gasped, the women hiding behind their veils, and the men bringing up their toughest guard to go and touch this alien object. As they witnessed the machine do its magic, everyone gasped, clapped, rejoiced and smiled, and went about their day.
For days I witnessed people decorate the machine with garlands, everyday a fresh one. This went on for about 10 days until I finally asked “why wouldn’t you use this if it makes your job easier”. They said, “all that we’ve known all our life is the craft of our hand, anything that works faster than us is god, we can’t even begin to understand it!”
And that was my first glimpse into what adoption to new technology could look like. It is so simple for companies and organizations to introduce technology into any community they ‘deem’ fit, but it’s all that difficult for the people to understand and use it to their full advantage.
As a UX Designer prior to my career (and life) altering MASD experience, I spent 4 years designing technology in a manner that simplified and further simplified the already existing products, for the already existing user base. Knee deep in my privilege, I barely had to turn an eye towards half the world’s population that continues to be digitally divided. This divide was a result of a choice of their own, or a choice of the systemic inequalities that designed their lives.
Hence, for my thesis, I wished to use my expertise in designing tech for the ones I have often missed keeping in mind.
Today, almost half the world’s
population is
That is, without access to the internet and its resources.
Today, a Digital Divide in our society exists at a Macro Level
I choose to focus my research on the individual + neighborhood level through a study on the Social and Emotional Barriers.
The digital divide is felt by various groups at varying degrees of socio-economic level.
In Baltimore
40.7%
houses do not have wireline internet service, such as cable, fiber, or digital subscriber line service.
https://bniajfi.org/indicators/Workforce%20and%20Economic%20Development/nohhint
In Baltimore
40.7%
houses do not have wireline internet service, such as cable, fiber, or digital subscriber line service.
https://bniajfi.org/indicators/Workforce%20and%20Economic%20Development/nohhint
Did you notice the black butterfly again?
73.3%of White Households
Older adults or seniorsBarriers pertaining to social and emotional support disproportionately affect older adults, hence I chose to focus my research on this group.
As an International student from India, I was aware of the alienation one might experience when engaging with me. Beyond that, not being native to Baltimore hindered my ability to really understand life from the communities’ own perspective. I decided to begin with baby steps and start engaging with people who have fostered community relationships through their years of wisdom. I started with speaking with Experts around my neighborhood, which then snowballed into myriad connections they trusted me with.
research | ideation | prototype
As I moved further into research, I decided to partner with an organisation that had spent its time building trust with this community within their neighbourhood.
29th SCC is working to close the digital divide under the digital equity program at the Robert W. Deutsch foundation. We decided to carry out the research process in collaboration. I had a wonderful time working with Nathalie Werebe who trusted me to spearhead the research project with her support and guidance.
29th CC is located at this intersection and primarily serve people from the neighbourhoods of Harwood, Barclay, and East Baltimore Midway. Here is the racial breakdown of its residence
72.9% Black
17.5% White
07.2% Hispanic
29th CC is located at this intersection and primarily serve people from the neighbourhoods of Harwood, Barclay, and East Baltimore Midway. Here is the racial breakdown of its residence
72.9% Black
17.5% White
07.2% Hispanic
Based on the guiding questions, I was able to filter out themes that were most important to address during the research phase.
More often than not, I walk into an interview with themes as opposed to questions. This is primarily advantageous as one’s research can expect many twists and turns, and sticking to a set of questions often disrupts that flow. Themes help create a high level outline of topics.
To bring the research to life, I formulated positive goal statements and guiding questions.
These consisted of conversations with both older adults and experts in the related fields.
Due to unclear sampling, the survey was discontinued and not accounted within research
Pro tip: Laundromats and bus stops are the best to walk around and speak to your people!
THE most exciting, enthralling and enriching part of the research!
Some of my favorite qual research activities that taught me the most!
Upon carrying out these rich conversations with many older adults, watching, observing, absorbing their interaction with technology, and seeing the relevance, need, or wish for its adoption, I came across a set of my own biases that I had to recheck before moving into the Synthesis Phase. Today, I’d like to share those with you.
These may not seem like your typical design principles, I was told they must sound more positive? However, I found the impact of those to be lesser than these real hard truths I jotted down for myself.
Coming from a tech industry as a UX Researcher and Designer, these were especially important for me to keep in mind, to remember to go back to basics, to design for universal accessibility and not for expertise.
Having created tech solutions for the past 4 years, I found myself naturally gravitating towards the same throughout my MASD experience. I had to stop!
Very many often, using terms pertaining to technology is natural to digital natives like me. I, along with everyone I work with, needed to ensure lesser and lesser use of jargons in this process.
Very many often, using terms pertaining to technology is natural to digital natives like me. I, along with everyone I work with, needed to ensure lesser and lesser use of jargons in this process.
Our parents and grandparents have guided us through life through their collective experiences. It is our time to honour the shared wisdom, and provide for patience, support and care when needed.
By bringing together the common themes within the research, I was able to formulate core repetitive and core themes that were heard over and over again.
THEME 01 · Simplifying the Learning Experience
INSIGHTTechnology adoption was rare and slow, but occurred when it was useful, and usability surpassed feelings of inadequacy.
THEME 02 · Reducing Generational Gaps and Stereotypes
INSIGHTOlder adults are willing to learn new concepts, but believe that this is the language of a younger generation.
THEME 03 · Ensuring avenues for repeated practice
INSIGHTSeniors require to perform new concepts repeatedly for reassurance and memory
THEME 04 · Making the Learning Experience Engaging and Fun
INSIGHTOlder Adults find it comfortable to learn new games, but experience difficulty when learning digital administrative tasks
*We actually implemented it! And my research participants all attended it with smiles!
The repeated plea we heard from older adults was having young children, who are well versed with tech, help them navigate the same on a consistent basis. We wanted to bring this as a neighbourhood intervention for all.
For the prototype, I, along with 29SCC discussed creating the same in collaboration with high school students and older adults in order to achieve the curriculum for this approach.
High school students are required to serve community hours through the summer. We saw an opportunity to help support the skills they currently contain, and bridge them to this community that could use their expertise.
In order to ensure consistent support, we looked at setting up a Buddy System, wherein one high school student is connected with an older adult for a specified period of time.
We are also looking into creating events like ‘Saturdays for Seniors’ wherein the seniors in the neighbourhood have a consistent day for networking and seeking support for various other needs at the community centre.
The biggest challenge I came across was working in a space where the reach of technology was to be minimised. After the pandemic, many of us began to rely heavily on digital technology. Tools like surveying, video calls and interviews, and many more became a lot more convenient through the advent of tech services. However, I had to ensure that these tools are not centering my research or my communications and connections through the project. For this reason, I chose to carry out my entire research process with human subjects without the intervention of online equipment.
As I began the project, I believed that digital literacy is not the only piece that would eradicate the digital divide. Looking into the emotional factors that affect technology adoption, a lot of the responsibility falls on those creating the digital service as opposed to the users themselves. Product designers need to ensure growing accessibility through not just their products, but also through the upgradation of these products. Digitisation cannot bear fruit in isolation, it is important to ensure all communities are kept in mind when creating a service important to all. Jargons need to be reduced in order to destigmatize human errors leading to technological failures.
The prototype devised as an intervention will prove to be successful when barriers to entry are reduced for older adults. As per my research, the most important barrier is the fear of failure, aka, technophobia. This lies at an individual level and prevents many from utilising their capacity for full participation. If the literacy program fosters deeper relationships among older folks and young generation, and there is value achieved and learnt in shared wisdom, older adults will find it easier to navigate digital services. Consistent support through a trusted community will prove to be a ladder towards technological adoption and improved relationship.