Summary of The Business Case for Product Inclusion (Cloud Next '19)

00:00:00 - 00:40:00

This video discusses the importance of product inclusion, or the design of products to be accessible and appealing to all users, regardless of their age or background. Google's senior vice president of product management, Donald Katz, explains how the company is working to improve this process, and how machine learning and fairness are linked.

• 00:00:00 The business case for product inclusion is that it can lead to better, more diverse products. It is important to understand the demographics of those who will be using the product, and to design the product with those demographics in mind.
• 00:05:00 The Business Case for Product Inclusion video discusses the importance of including a diverse range of users in product development and testing. It outlines how Google has addressed these needs by bringing in people from different backgrounds and perspectives, and stresses the importance of constantly testing and improving for inclusion.
• 00:10:00 The speaker of the video, Samuel, leads engineering at Google and focuses on inclusive design. He began to learn more about the issue of diversity and inclusion after working with the Geena Davis Institute on Films. He was curious to see how YouTube did in this area, and found that the platform has many gender gaps in its content. He has since started a project to help people understand the root causes of unfairness in society.
• 00:15:00 The Business Case for Product Inclusion examines the cultural and political climate as well as the increasing use of mobile devices in conjunction with the rise of communities and individuals offering solutions to the problem of exclusion. The video's presenter argues that the inclusive mindset is humble and recognizes that one does not have all the answers, and that the beginning of a change in perspective is recognizing that one does not have all the answers. In order to offset the cultural mindset of exclusion, the presenter believes that businesses and individuals need to be talking about diversity and inclusion more often.
• 00:20:00 The business case for product inclusion is that it opens up markets and addresses gaps in product design. An example is the airbag safety in cars, which originally caused more deaths of women drivers, but was fixed when designers took into account the different body types of men and women. This is a trend that is being followed by other companies, such as YouTube, which is optimizing its products for demographics such as ethnicity and gender.
• 00:25:00 The video discusses the business case for product inclusion, which includes making sure that all types of people can be represented in products and services. One example is the introduction of more diverse emoji characters. Another is the inclusion of diverse perspectives in films. Pixar's approach to inclusive storytelling has resulted in more diverse directors and storytellers, which has helped their films appeal to a wider audience.
• 00:30:00 The business case for product inclusion is that inclusive design or product inclusion can solve problems for people who are excluded from traditional markets, and that design should be iterative and targeted to specific populations.
• 00:35:00 The presenter discusses the importance of including people who are typically marginalized in business processes, such as those with disabilities. They go on to say that by understanding and accommodating these mismatches, companies can move customers through the experience more quickly and efficiently, ultimately resulting in a better product.
• 00:40:00 In this video, Google's senior vice president of product management, Donald Katz, explains how product inclusion - or the design of a product to be accessible and appealing to all users, regardless of their age or background - is important for YouTube, and how the company is working to improve this process. He also discusses how machine learning and fairness are linked, and how collaborations between different teams are key to making products that are fair and inclusive.