by Laura Lightfinch

Beyond gender-neutral language, representative imagery and inclusive data capture, there is a richer lesson in designing inclusive digital spaces. For Eriol Fox, non-binary UX designer and public speaker, good design starts with a conversation.  

For design to be truly inclusive, Eriol (they/them) believes it has to come from good intention and a genuine passion to understand the needs and struggles of marginalised groups, like the LGBTQ+ community. Welcoming underrepresented people into the co-design process to inform and shape digital spaces that work better for them is a good first step.  

“Consulting with people that are so often excluded from the conversation and listening to the ways they want to be seen and heard, without overburdening, is so important. Inclusive design is an investment in telling a story in a more involved way and making sure people feel welcomed in that.”

Eriol, a product manager and senior designer at Simply Secure, hasn’t always identified as non-binary. They’re on a journey—like we all are—but digital platforms often capture our identity in a single snapshot. When we create a profile or buy something online, we’re identified by the data collected from that one moment in our life. 

“What design doesn’t always consider is that a person’s identity can be in a state of flux, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. Someone might identify a certain way, but a week or month or year later, that could change.

“So when it comes to daily tasks like logging on to online banking or checking emails or even engaging with social media, if the platforms and content we see reinforce an identity that doesn’t align with our present, it can cause harm.” 

For Eriol, the goal is for marginalised individuals to experience a normal, comfortable life where their identity can be at the centre of their existence if that’s what they choose, or not at all. It’s about design that gives the user agency over their experience of the space. 

Eriol is keen to design spaces where people can explore and play with their identities in a safe way. “If we look beyond capturing gender for data purposes, maybe there’s an opportunity to ask people what gender they feel like trying out today and then referring to them by those pronouns on the website or platform, until they change their mind.

“I’d love to see technology being able to intelligently change the gender of people within content to reflect the person reading it too.”

Ultimately, everyone’s journeys are different and where some people may relish the space to play, others may need the choice to come back to content at a later time, when it feels less triggering. Understanding the pain points that may be harmful to certain underrepresented groups can also help to design more welcoming spaces. 

“As a designer, it’s important to not only consider creating inclusive design that resonates with minority groups, but how content might cause painful experiences too. An impactful coming out story might be quite difficult to see for some people in the LGBTQ+ community, so having the agency to consent to content can be hugely valuable.  

“One thing I always recommend is experimenting with trigger warnings and giving users the ability to choose whether they want to see a piece of content, or not.”

Eriol understands that it can feel overwhelming trying to design spaces that are inclusive for everyone, with so many underrepresented groups to consider. 

“It can be really easy to burn out on social good and social justice within design work. It can be difficult to include everyone, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. It’s about being intentional with taking the steps to being more inclusive.”

@erioldoesdesign
github.com/erioldoesdesign