I have talked a lot about what bias is and where it can occur, but not about how it can be mitigated. You will find some ideas on how to deal with bias in this blog post.
1. Spotting Unconscious Bias
The first step to overcoming unconscious bias is recognizing that it exists. For teams, tools like the Designing for Worldview Framework by Emi Kolawole or AIGA’s Gender Equity Toolkit, can help. If you want to find out, how biased you are towards a certain group of people, check out Harvard’s Project Implicit tests . Knowing your biases is the first step toward fixing them. (cf. UX Booth)
2. Taking Action
Once you’ve spotted your biases, it’s time to do something about them. A great way to start is by consciously designing with different users in mind. Tools like Perspective Cards can help you imagine how your designs might feel to people with different experiences. When working with clients or users, take time to truly listen and understand their perspectives. Let go of your own assumptions—it’s the best way to gain new insights and create designs that work for everyone. (cf. UX Booth)
3. Build Diverse Teams
Diverse design teams are key to creating inclusive experiences. Diversity matters especially in design, a profession that requires professionals to think new thoughts and challenge existing ideas all the time. Different people think a different way, brining them together can result in a pool of new ideas, incorporating different (cf. UX Booth)
4. Keep Learning
Overcoming bias isn’t a one-time thing, it’s a lifelong process. Stay curious and open to feedback. Always think about who you might be leaving out and how you can make your designs more inclusive. By committing to continuous learning and embracing new perspectives, you’ll create better, more universal designs that truly work for everyone. (cf. Medium)
5. Explore the “unhappy paths”
When designing, don’t just focus on the “happy path” — consider the unhappy paths too. These are real-life situations where things break, go wrong, or are misused, and they shouldn’t be ignored as edge cases to fix later. Ask tough questions like, “How could people game the system?” or “Who could use it to harm others?” Addressing these issues early creates more robust and humane products that work for diverse users. While exploring unhappy paths may slow you down initially, it saves time in the long run by preventing costly reworks and ensuring you’re headed in the right direction from the start. (cf. Medium)
6. Make personas challenge assumptions
Personas are a hot topic, with debates on whether they’re necessary or useful, but when done right, they can be a powerful tool to challenge assumptions about users. Start by removing demographic details like age, gender, or income, which can introduce bias. Instead of generic stock photos, use real images of users who defy stereotypes, helping teams confront their unconscious expectations. If real user photos aren’t available, consider inclusive stock photo alternatives like tonl.co. You can also use names from underrepresented groups to further broaden perspectives. Remember, this isn’t about ticking a diversity box — it’s about reflecting real insights and challenging narrow views to design for a wider audience.
(cf. Medium)
7. Designing for a diverse global audience
t R/GA, we design for global audiences by leveraging diverse teams and cultural insights from the start. Our “Human, Simple, Powerful” design model ensures diversity and inclusion are baked into the process. The “Human” element focuses on addressing problems through a human lens, considering cultures, customs, and the context of users’ lives. We validate prototypes through user testing with a diverse audience that mirrors the anticipated end users. By mapping touchpoints and breakpoints across different backgrounds and conducting experience mapping globally and locally, we gain a well-rounded view of our users. This approach helps us create focused, inclusive solutions that eliminate ambiguity and meet the needs of diverse audiences. (cf. Medium)
Although completely overcoming bias is probably impossible, you can try to minimize their impact on your work by utilizing some of the methods, I wrote about in this blog post.
