Health Experience Design 2021

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) experience significant health disparities as a result of racism embedded in the social, economic, and political forces that impact individual and community health. As a result, it is our responsibility as designers to amplify and support voices of BIPOC and other marginalized groups throughout the design process by listening to them and speaking truth to power if they are overlooked. This talk will provide an overview of one of the main objectives of IBM-Watson Health Design Justice Initiative—developing methods of enabling more inclusive research participant recruitment practices in industry. The speaker will specifically provide a case study of applying design thinking to create an internal solution that empowers BIPOC participants to contribute their expertise and lived experience throughout the entire design research process—from initial planning to knowledge transfer. Note: The IBM-Watson Health Design Justice Initiative is a volunteer, grassroots effort that seeks to address racial health disparities through IBM-Watson Health’s digital health products. Although our initiative is carried out within IBM, it provides a perspective on how to approach similar projects in other business organizations. This initiative is supported and led by Raven Veal, PhD, MSPH, Andrea M. Barbarin, PhD, JD, MSI, Cherese Cooper, MS, and Morgan A. Foreman.