Inclusive teaching

Designing an Interactive, Community-Driven DEI Toolkit for HCDE at UW for Inclusive Education

Overview

When I joined the multi-quarter DRG tasked with building the Inclusive Teaching Toolkit, I knew I wanted to create more than just a resource hub—I wanted to design something dynamic, a living framework that grows with the HCDE community. With faculty, students, and DEI committee members, we built a digital toolkit that bridges gaps in inclusive teaching practices, ensuring both students and instructors have accessible, actionable tools at their fingertips.

Problem - Why it matters

In the HCDE department at UW, faculty and students struggled with fragmented DEI resources—scattered across PDFs, emails, and one-off workshops. There was no centralized toolkit for fostering inclusivity within classrooms. This meant:

  • Instructors lacked clear guidance on religious accommodations, hybrid learning accessibility, and inclusive feedback systems.

  • Students wanted actionable ways to advocate for inclusivity but found existing resources hard to locate or use.

  • Conversations around diversity often stalled at land acknowledgments without deeper engagement in equity-centered teaching.

💡 Challenge: How do we design something that adapts over time—without becoming another static document?

Project Goals

  • Design a centralized digital toolkit that serves both students and instructors.

  • Ensure the toolkit is interactive, editable, and community driven.

  • Create an experience rooted in equity-centered design with accessibility in mind.

  • Spark ongoing contributions so the resource stays relevant, inclusive, and impactful.

My Role & Contribution

🧩 Information Architecture + UX Strategy

I shaped the toolkit’s structure so both students and instructors could easily navigate resources, ensuring:

  • Clear dual-pathway navigation—tailored UX flows for both user groups.

  • Modular content—topics like accommodations, classroom feedback, and land acknowledgments presented as flexible “toolbox” pieces.

  • Core screens and pathways, including:

    • Homepage & Mission

    • Instructor and Student Landing Pages

    • Feedback Guide

    • Contribution Form

    • Author Profiles

✏️ Design Metaphor: A toolbox—pick what’s useful, leave what’s not, and always have space to add new tools.

UX Writing + Content Design

With an approachable, equity-centered voice, I crafted:

  • Welcoming home page copy that sets the tone for inclusivity.

  • Step-by-step guidance for contributing feedback to keep the toolkit evolving.

  • Clear, student-focused language that empowers advocacy rather than making inclusivity feel top-down.

  • Microcopy, tooltips, and accessibility notes woven throughout.

Usability Testing + Iteration

I led structured usability testing with HCDE faculty and students, gathering real-world feedback to refine our design:

Issue Found Action Taken
Back-navigation unclear Added a sticky "back" button & breadcrumb logic
Low visual contrast in quote blocks Adjusted color hierarchy & font pairings
Students wanted more real-world examples Added scenario-based tips for hybrid learning & accessibility
Feedback form wording felt confusing Reworked form logic for clarity & inclusivity

🔍 We tested across various class years and adjusted the visual hierarchy, language clarity, and DEI depth to ensure usability worked across different perspectives.

Design Philosophy – A Living Resource

Instead of another static DEI handbook, our team designed for growth:

  • Editable – Open to updates and faculty contributions.

  • Community-driven – Built collaboratively with students & instructors.

  • Context-sensitive – Designed to evolve with real classroom needs.

  • Easy to maintain & expand – Ready for future DRGs to iterate on.

Outcome & Impact

  • Successfully piloted with HCDE students & faculty in Spring 2024.

  • Iteration-ready structure ensures future adaptability by the HCDE community.

  • Sparked faculty discussions on integrating toolkit content into course syllabi.

💡 “We really appreciated how the toolkit doesn’t assume a one-size-fits-all. It invites us to build something together.”

What I Learned

💭 One of the biggest takeaways from this project was balancing structure with flexibility. Inclusive design is never static—it requires openness, collaboration, and iteration. Through usability testing, I saw firsthand how different perspectives shape accessibility needs. I also learned that small UX details—like clearer navigation flows or inclusive microcopy—can have a huge impact on usability.

🔥 Next Steps: As the toolkit evolves, I’m excited to explore ways to make community contributions more seamless, ensuring HCDE classrooms remain inclusive and adaptable.