Feminine gamification viewpoint: diversity
Diversity in the technology industry is a much talked about project, yet very few companies truly address it. One project I came across goes some of the way to uncovering the diverse paths people take into working in technology, it’s called Techies Project. Techies Project was started by Helena Price a photographer in San Fransisco, who basically wanted the share and delve into the diverse profiles of people working in the technology industry.
What appeals to me in this project is that it looks at diversity from the widest perspective possible from gender to age to place of origin or conditions of origin, sexual orientation, etc. What I often am asked is how do I get started in gamification and it can be a very varied path to getting there. For example I came from an entrepreneurial background, change management and learning development, others have come from playing games into the industry, corporate IT, training, web development, UX. The path to get to a place where you love what you do is often varied.
As a gamification designer I draw inspiration from a multitude of resources and sometimes my role models are very varied. We are so often asked to create experience based journeys for both employees and customers, so being open to how other people’s journeys have been inspires and motivates me. Hence I urge you to read through some of the Techies Project profiles, the backgrounds and unusual trajectories will make you think and hopefully inspire you to be more creative in the journeys and experiences you design. As people we have our own perspective and bias as a starting point, yet as a designer that would only allow us to create for people like us which is limiting so seeking other perspectives is growing your own offering also.
How and where do you draw inspiration from for you gamified paths and journeys?
