Fail Fast at SÓNAR+D Highlights

Part of the Fail Fast creatives had an incredible experience at the SÓNAR+D Festival last Thursday, june 13th. Along with a group of students from BAU, Centre Universitari d'Arts i Disseny and ELISAVA that Fail Fast invited, we participated in an event that aims to tackle inclusivity and diversity in technology amidst the rapid acceleration of digital transformation.

At the festival, we were inspired by the vibrant discussions organized by SEIDOR with forward-thinking ideas shared by various participants, from students to professionals and experts, that emphasized that inclusivity and diversity should begin within tech companies by creating inclusive work environments. This resonated deeply with our Fail Fast spirit of fearless innovation and collaboration.

Moving towards a more inclusive technology

One of the standout sessions was a thought-provoking talk by Sasha Costanza-Chock on the keys to a more inclusive technology. The expert shared the Design Justice Network Principles on how design can sustain, heal, and empower communities while promoting liberation. These principles are:
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1. Use design to sustain, heal, and empower communities, and seek liberation.
2. Center the voices of those most impacted by design processes.
3. Prioritize community impact over the designer's intentions.
4. View change as an emergent process from collaborative, accessible practices.
5. See the designer as a facilitator rather than just an expert.
6. Believe everyone is an expert based on their experiences; everyone has something unique and brilliant to contribute.
7. Share knowledge and tools rather than hoarding expertise.
8. Work towards sustainable designs that are controlled by the communities we work with.
9. Strive for non-exploitative solutions that reconnect us with the earth and each other.
10. Before seeking new solutions, look at what already exists and works at the community level, honoring traditional, local, and indigenous knowledge and practices.

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Inclusive design processes

The emphasis on community-centric and inclusive design processes highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in how we approach design and technology. At the same time, these principles align perfectly with our Fail Fast philosophy of playing with the unknown and testing new concepts to design future experiences.

Sasha also shared their experiences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), revealing how computational systems can perpetuate various forms of inequality, oppression, and injustice based on race, gender, class, and immigration status. A striking example was the bias in facial recognition technology, where AI systems trained predominantly on white faces reproduce white supremacist ideologies.

To create the design of the future, we must change our processes to be genuinely inclusive and deeply transformative, not just superficially for marketing purposes. This vision aligns with Fail Fast's commitment to fearless innovation, where embracing failure and learning quickly are integral to our approach.

The SÓNAR+D Festival was a powerful reminder that the future of design and technology lies in inclusivity, diversity, and community empowerment. At Fail Fast, we are excited to incorporate these principles into our work, continually pushing boundaries and creating meaningful, sustainable digital experiences.