Sofia Carvhalho and Rita Pureza
UX Lead and Social Scientist & Culture Designer
With Company
A neurodivergent mind turned UX Designer and Researcher, Sofia has hoarded long hours of experience asking questions and making sense of answers, patterns and systems. Sofia is a UX expert at With Company, with a big focus on inclusion, no matter if developing a digital experience or an innovative home appliance. She is a big believer on the power of technology in building a more accessible, diverse and ultimately better future. She has worked in and with different geographies and cultures — Portugal, Sweden, Silicon Valley, Macau and Korea — which helped her develop the right balance between intuitive and rational approaches to problem solving. After finishing a Psychology degree and a PhD in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Rita thought it was time to get out of the lab and into the world. Joined Thinking Big, a training company on Positive Psychology, as a researcher in 2013. In 2015 started as a HR manager at Inditex Portugal, where she had the opportunity to manage more than 20 teams from all over the country for almost 4 years. Currently working on culture transformation programs and projects. Rita truly believes that everyone should be able to work in a positive and constructive environment that empowers you. Passionate about human behaviour, group dynamics and interactions, belonging and connectedness, trying to understand how can the flourishing of an individual influence a whole system around it.
Intersectional Practices for Responsible Design
Looking forward, we must embrace our systems’ diversity and compound identities. Just like we need different ecosystems for nature to thrive, we need diverse experiences and ideas. Implementing intersectional thinking benefits design methodologies, preventing alienation and bias.
To kick off the workshop, Rita and Sofia will begin with a brief introduction, followed by a unique approach where you will introduce yourself by filling in the “WheelInclude” framework. This framework allows to understand the different layers, both visible and invisible, of the diversity that compose the group. Next, you will divide into groups to design an inclusive setup that is capable of welcoming the intended target audience. This exercise provides an opportunity for you to implement intersectional thinking and explore creative solutions for responsible design. Finally, you will have the opportunity to explore other groups’ designs and provide feedback, enabling the group to learn from each other’s diverse perspectives and experiences. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and contribute to creating a more inclusive and equitable spaces through design.
