Africa’s Talking Women in Tech: Human-Centered Design Event
They say that an unprepared woman is a woman prepared to fail. What better way to prepare yourself than by being part of a community that builds and empowers other ladies by sharing, growing, and challenging each other? That is what Africa’s Talking Women in Technology is about: A community to collaborate and grow together.
When the first event for the community was rolled out on 23rd November 2022, it was definitely a must-attend. On that calm evening, Africa’s Talking Headquarters in Lavington was buzzing with excitement as ladies streamed in from 5.00 p.m. The topic being ‘Human-Centred Design’, the discussion was soon underway with contributions coming in left, right and center.
A human-centered design in the tech field lays emphasis on the element of trust as opposed to functionality which is heavily stressed in the field. There is also an emphasis on community and its importance. This was especially taken on by the ladies in the discussion as they pointed out how some applications, albeit successful and efficient, have neglected the trust aspect which causes insecurity while using them. In the discussion, it was mentioned that when building, the human centered-ness of the applications should be majorly considered to promote its use easily by different people.
In building the #ATWIT community, the ladies looked forward to great interactions that would incorporate aspects such as mentorship, as well as activities including hackathons with various topics that are able to push agendas that favor them. The need for women in tech to learn to work with others and not in isolation was also touched on. Moreover, ladies in tech were encouraged to learn how to clearly articulate their views and solutions without using too much jargon, which more often than not causes losing others in the explanation process. It was also very delightful to hear the few male attendees give their insights here and there.
All in all, the discussion kicked off what is intended to be a great community of building and empowerment. With the first hackathon, Africa’s Talking Women in Tech Open Hackathon, coming up on Wednesday, 25th January 2023, the community is off to a great start and a lot more is definitely in store.
