Importance of Collaboration
By Machi Dima
I remember watching the digital equity forum video, which took place on December 9, 2021. There was a part of the meeting in which they held a session open for questions and public comments. The speakers gave the participants in the meeting an opportunity to ask questions and give their thoughts on digital inclusion/equity. Then after the question session was over, they gave the people who were a member of the public an opportunity to ask any questions and make comments. They talked about listening first so that they can build coming together and that they were driven by what they heard from the participants. Ms. Jester with the NDIA then takes questions on her presentation from the chat. They are interested in where the data being shared is from, how they collect their data, and what they recommend as the best way to collect data. One participant asks about the pressure on community effort though the government plays a role in achieving digital equity- this is answered by saying that if the issue was just left up to the government it wouldn't be done correctly; there was nobody advocating for the communities before the community got involved themselves. Then they talked about the state making a lot of progress lately and how holding this forum was another step in the right direction.
Through collaboration, designers can broaden their horizons by just hearing what others have to say. Discussing your designs with someone typically enables us to identify clear alternatives that we must have overlooked. When doing research, it’s very important to make sure that you collect data on those who will be affected by the changes and make sure you ask the right question and get their input. When doing my explainer project about the Affordable Connectivity Program in low-income communities, I wanted my research and the resources I was finding to be of help to someone. I know that most people who need these resources don’t have access to it, so with my finding, I wanted to start a conversation about who was eligible and how they can access all the resources and make sure that eligible households are getting broadband access. I believe that when you are doing a project and are collaborating and communicating with the targeted audience, you get a whole new insight into things.
Just like the digital equity advocates had to collaborate with the people who are being affected, in design, you also have to collect data and know your target audience. Collaborating with others brings new experiences to your work. When you are working on something that benefits other people/communities, you must ensure that you are catering to them specifically. You have to make sure that you are making the customers happy. You can do this in a few ways. For example, you can do a survey to take feedback on how your work has been, what they are looking for, etc. Utilizing collaboration strategies will benefit your design process and increase the societal impact you have.
