Let's explore allyship and how to be a good ally whether we're a beginner, intermediary or expert and try to better our practices.

This workshop will find a balance between theory and real experiences by having a theoritical introduction, then an exchange of experiences, tools to evaluate our ally actions and of course resources to better our allyship.

While we would never ask anyone to share something they don't want to, this workshop only works if people are ready to talk about the subjects and to dive into their own experiences and struggles as allies. This is a space where we can share safely and where we all have to be both actors and listeners.

At the end of this workshop, the aim is to have a better understanding of what hardships we face as allies and how we can overcome them.

Failing facial recognition, assimilation of black people to gorillas on Google, confusion between shadows and dark skin tones by smart cars to the point of being hit… Racism in the user experience can sometimes manifests itself in a spectacular way.

However, it is not only in these examples that racist biases exist: they invite themselves into what we all produce in an insidious way.

From design to implementation and into the use of products: without taking a step back, we can harm and create the exclusion of certain groups by perpetuating or even amplifying inequalities.

It is also within companies, and therefore among industry employees, that we find misunderstandings that oppose and discriminate the most marginalized population.

So, how do we guarantee neutral or universal experiences in a world where the UX is intended to be optimal and inclusive for everyone?

I want to share with you a multi-faceted approach to solving systemic problems in the user experience, from semantics to personae, via personal stories and through History with a capital H.