Inclusive Digital Avatars Launch
By Emma Garcia
On October 30, 2024, the Center for Equity, Gender & Leadership (EGAL) hosted a virtual launch event for our newest resource, our Guide for Creating Inclusive Digital Avatars! The event was hosted on Zoom by EGAL’s Associate Director, Zena Barakat, who was joined by panelists Nicol Perez (Product Equity and Accessibility Programs Lead at Meta), Ellysse Dick (Policy Manager at Meta Reality Labs), Ishita Rustagi (Former EGAL Project Manager and current MBA Student at Berkeley Haas), and Alejandra Ochoa (MBA Fellow and Student at UC Berkeley Haas).
Meta Reality Labs wanted to create an avatar experience for their users that was inclusive and accessible, which led them to partner with EGAL and develop a resource that was academically-backed and incorporated research. The Guide for Creating Inclusive Avatars is reflective of expert interviews with leaders in digital environments, a multidisciplinary systematic literature review, and an analysis of existing tech products and tools.
The audience heard from Nicol and Ellysse about the work that came before this tool, explaining how Meta has been working to reflect a larger audience in their avatars for several years. When asked what she emphasizes when guiding teams on producing inclusive assets, Nicol replied “avatars shape how people express themselves and build communities in online spaces,” adding that she believes belonging and diversity are extremely important in making people feel connected. Ishita joined the conversation to share how important it was in the development of the guide to have “diverse voices represented” when researching. Ishita also shared valuable insight into how the amount of avatar options impact the user, explaining that having an overwhelming amount of options for someone to choose from may not result in the best user experience.
Alejandra conducted a landscape analysis for the guide, exploring not just avatars, but the video game and makeup industries. She shared that companies have varying levels of commitment to inclusivity and diversity in their products, being able to easily conclude whether or not the company was truly invested in incorporating representation into their work. Alejandra mentioned that products currently on the market rely heavily on labels that are potentially harmful, citing a makeup line that used city names for their skin colors, a decision that can lead to biases.
Zena asked the panelists from Meta how they will use the findings from this project in the future, to which Nicol answered that they have taken these guidelines and applied them to Meta’s decisions on a variety of things, like what identity characteristics they prioritize and how many presets they provide within a product. The event ended with Zena thanking all of the panelists for their time and hard work making this project a reality.
To watch a recording of the launch event visit our YouTube Channel. You can explore the guide on our Resources Website.
