This article is based on a presentation at Accessibility New York City (A11yNYC) by Elina Ashimbayeva.
Design decisions often reflect the values people carry into their work. These values shape how teams collaborate, how products evolve, and how communities experience technology. When people focus only on tools or outcomes, they may overlook the deeper beliefs that guide their choices. Understanding these beliefs helps explain why some systems support inclusion while others create barriers.
Many teams want to build ethical and accessible products. They often look for checklists, frameworks, or best practices. These tools matter, but they work best when paired with reflection on the assumptions that shape everyday decisions. People absorb values from culture, workplaces, and personal history. Some of these values support inclusion. Others limit it. Recognizing these patterns helps teams make more intentional choices.
A human-centered approach begins with awareness. It asks people to notice how their beliefs influence their work. It encourages curiosity about how values such as efficiency, growth, or scale shape design. It also highlights the importance of relational thinking, which focuses on connection, responsibility, and shared well-being. This perspective helps people build systems that support dignity and autonomy.
Starting with personal and team values
Design work often begins with tools, processes, and product goals. Yet many challenges arise from the values people bring to their work. Some individuals believe they cannot influence change because leaders or policies stand in the way. Others assume that being progressive or supportive of inclusion is enough. These beliefs can limit action.
A focus on microcultures helps shift this mindset. A microculture is a small environment where people can influence norms and behavior. It may be a team, a project group, or even one person’s workflow. Small changes in these spaces can spread. When someone adopts a checklist, adjusts research practice, or models inclusive behavior, others may follow. This approach helps people act without waiting for permission.
Reflection also plays a role. People may hold values they never intentionally chose. Ideas about productivity, success, or worth often come from broader culture. Noticing these patterns helps individuals question whether they support inclusion. This awareness creates space for new choices that align with dignity and equity.
Understanding deeper mental models
The iceberg model offers a way to understand how systems form. The visible part of the iceberg represents results and symptoms. These include inaccessible websites, biased tools, or exclusionary practices. Beneath the surface are structures such as policies, hiring practices, and team norms. At the deepest level are mental models, trauma, and life force. These shape how people think, act, and relate to one another.
When teams focus only on surface problems, solutions may not last. Fixing a single accessibility issue does not address the values that allowed it to appear. Sustainable change requires attention to deeper causes. This includes examining beliefs about efficiency, growth, and productivity. When these values dominate, exclusion becomes more likely. People may prioritize speed over care or scale over connection.
Technology reflects these deeper patterns. If a culture values efficiency above all else, tools that maximize speed will emerge. Artificial intelligence is one example. It highlights how society views human limitations and productivity. Reflecting on these patterns helps people question whether their values support inclusion or reinforce inequity.
Examples of inclusive design choices
Inclusive design appears in many forms. Some examples come from digital tools. A flight booking website that offers detailed assistance options supports travelers with varied needs. A music app that adds a visual indicator for colorblind users improves usability. A museum that provides tactile art experiences expands access beyond visual interpretation.
Physical environments also offer examples. A supermarket that reduces glare, widens aisles, and offers quiet hours supports people with sensory requirements. Staff training helps teams respond with awareness and respect. These choices show how small adjustments can create meaningful access.
Bias reduction offers another perspective. Anonymous auditions in orchestras increased opportunities for women. Soft shoes reduced sound cues, such as clacking heels that might indicate a female, that influenced judges. These examples show how design can challenge assumptions, reduce bias, and create fairer systems. They also demonstrate how inclusive practices can emerge from curiosity and experimentation.
Reflecting on values that shape technology
Many people hold values that influence how they design and build. Some believe money reflects human value. Others assume privacy is a reasonable trade-off for convenience. Many view user attention as essential for growth. These beliefs shape products, policies, and interactions.
Efficiency often stands out as a dominant value. It influences how people measure success and how they structure work. When efficiency becomes the highest good, people may overlook relational needs. They may prioritize speed over care or scale over depth. This pattern appears in technology, workplaces, and social systems.
Scale also influences behavior. People may believe that success requires reaching more users, generating more data, or expanding impact. This belief affects artists, charities, and companies alike. It encourages measurement through numbers rather than meaningful outcomes. Reflecting on these values helps people question whether they support well-being or reinforce pressure.
Exploring alternative values
Alternative values offer new ways to think about design and community. Some people aspire to see challenges as opportunities for growth. Others believe that money carries the energy of how it was earned. Many value relational obligation, which emphasizes connection and shared responsibility.
These values encourage people to scale in service of purpose rather than escape from it. They recognize that endings are part of healthy cycles. Not all work needs to grow. Some projects may complete their purpose and close. This perspective supports sustainability and care.
Interconnection also plays a role. When people thrive together, communities strengthen. Excellence becomes a goal rooted in contribution rather than competition. Long-term thinking encourages people to build work that may not be finished in their lifetime. These values support systems that prioritize well-being over speed or scale.
What organizations or individuals can do next
Organizations can begin by examining the values that shape their work. This includes noticing how efficiency, scale, or productivity influence decisions. Teams can reflect on whether these values support inclusion or create barriers. Small mindset shifts can lead to meaningful change.
Teams can adopt microculture practices. Individuals can introduce checklists, adjust research methods, or model inclusive behavior. These actions do not require permission. They can spread through curiosity and conversation. Over time, they can influence broader systems.
Organizations can also review structures. This includes hiring practices, research environments, and accessibility policies. They can ensure that tools and processes support people with varied needs. They can create environments that reduce bias and support relational connection.
Reflection
Ethical design begins with awareness of the values that shape everyday choices. When people reflect on their assumptions, they create space for new possibilities. Small actions can shift culture. Quiet moments of noticing can influence systems. When teams embrace relational thinking, they build environments that support dignity, autonomy, and inclusion. These changes may feel subtle, but they form the foundation for meaningful transformation.
Video highlights
- Worldviews shape design and collaboration
- Personal background and how lived experience informs design work
- Introduction of the iceberg model showing results, structures, and deeper paradigms
- Examples of inclusive design choices across digital and physical environments
- Reflection on values that influence technology, efficiency, scale, and human behavior
- Q&A with Elina
Watch the presentation
Resources
Bio
Elina Ashimbayeva is a product manager, community builder, and facilitator with over a decade of work across healthcare, education, and social impact. Originally from Kazakhstan and Aotearoa New Zealand, she is now based in New York. Elina has led product and discovery work at Health New Zealand, designed the Equitable Product Cohort on ethics and equity in tech, and run a storytelling community, Storyo.
Her practice sits at the intersection of human-centred design, values-led leadership, and the harder, slower work of shifting the worldviews underneath how teams actually operate.
She recently launched Making Good Money, a podcast on financial transparency with founders of mission-driven ventures, where she talks about the values that we make decisions from, in life and in work. Elina loves dancing, poetry, and, notably, mayonnaise.
FAQ
How can small teams influence accessibility when leadership is not supportive?
Small teams can create change by focusing on microcultures. Individuals can adopt inclusive practices in their own workflows. These actions often spread through curiosity and conversation. Over time, they can influence broader systems without requiring permission.
What does inclusivity mean in practical terms?
Inclusivity is an ongoing process rather than a destination. Teams can start by addressing one meaningful barrier at a time. Examples include redesigning lessons for users with different physical abilities or adjusting features based on real user feedback. Starting small helps teams build momentum.
How can people reconcile community values with a competitive or individualistic environment?
People can begin by acting within their own circles. They can initiate community practices rather than waiting for others to lead. Cooperative models, shared decision-making, and relational responsibility help align values with everyday behavior.
How can people shift their focus away from numbers and metrics?
People can practice noticing when they rely on numbers for validation. They can reflect on whether these metrics align with their values. Over time, they can choose to prioritize meaningful impact over quantity. This shift requires ongoing attention and personal reflection.
How did service design influence healthcare work in New Zealand?
Service design helped teams adopt relational and nature-based approaches. It encouraged whimsical and human-centred practices that improved collaboration. Healthcare teams responded positively to these methods. Although later policy changes affected the system, the approach demonstrated the value of human-centred design.
How can people stay committed to personal change when larger systems feel overwhelming?
People can seek guidance from mentors, teachers, or supportive peers. They can focus on small internal shifts rather than large external outcomes. Reflecting on everyday judgments, reactions, and assumptions helps build steady change. These small shifts influence how people contribute to larger systems.