Experience Design:
Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion in CharismaTM
Center for BrainHealth:
Charisma
The Center for BrainHealth® at The University of Texas at Dallas is a nonprofit research institute dedicated to advancing the science of brain health: how the brain best learns, reasons and innovates; actionable ways to protect it from decline; and proactive protocols to repair and regenerate brain systems.
Charisma™ is a flexible virtual platform combined with live, interactive cognitive coaching to enhance how individuals think, interact and thrive socially.
Charisma™ started with social coaching services for children Autism Spectrum Disorder. Since, the service is expanded to all clients.
When working on exploring the program and system with Kathleen, I noticed that we somehow don’t have more specialized guidelines, system and aesthetic elements for LGBTQ+ population, more specifically, LGBTQ+ Youth.
My efforts:
- Facilitate clinician engagement and involvement in expanding coaching scenarios/guidelines specialized in LGBTQ+ Youth in data banks.
- Design elements, user interface that enhance LGBTQ+ Youth feel safe to express themselves in virtual space.
- Design campaign/ initiative to raise awareness of our service at Center BrainHealth to support this population.
Outcomes:
- Presented to and received positive feedback from over 50 guests who are researchers, neuroscientists, and experts at the Center for BrainHealth and in the DFW area, including City of Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.
- Though I had to leave after the program ended, I established good relationships with the coach and emerging technology teams. The teams are willing to continue mentoring me and discussing the future direction of Charisma which I was curious about and brought up, including Unreal Engine development, and AI-enabled solution for coaches.
- The topic was considered for future coaching services and guidelines at the center.
Roles
Tom Leppert BrainHealth Scholar
Design
Mentor
Kathleen Tate, M.S
Charisma Coach
Field of Research
UX/UI Design
Service Design
Character Design
Visual Design
Deliverables
High-fidelity interface prototype
High-fidelity character designs
Demo of Coaching Session
Demo Marketing Campaign
Tools
Unreal Engine MetaHumans
Figma
Photoshop
Microsoft Office Suite
How might we ehance diversity and inclusion in Charisma that create
sense of belonging – notion of psychological safety.
Background: LGBTQ+ Youth
LGBT youth attend schools and live in a society that produces and reproduces heterosexuality as the only ‘‘normal’’ and viable option. As a result, LGBT youth, who fall outside these normative constructs, are often subject to violence, discrimination, and marginalization, including sexual harassment and physical assault. It is likely that negative school experiences explain why LGB youth, compared to their non-LGB peers, report more mental health problems.
LGBTQ+ Youth Seriously Consider Suicide*
Millions
0
Likely To Attempt Suicide Compared to Heterosexual Peers**
0
X
Youth being bullied on school property
0
%
Approach in Counseling and Community Support
Looking at systems theories, a collection and accumulation of dynamic interactions that take place between individuals and across nesting levels that ultimately comprise the network that becomes the system itself. Therefore, facilitating systems change to modify the environment for prevention of future concerns.
Understanding that family support and acceptance of LGBT youth’s identity may provide protection against the negative effects of homophobic harassment and victimization.
Charisma and LGBTQ+ Youth:
How Can We Help?
Interacting in Social Settings
For example, dealing with homophobic with open mind and kindness.
Managing Relationships
Building support and strong connection with friends and family. Support from Friends and Family of LGBTQ+ Youth as counseling intervention.
Managing Interpersonal Dymics
Embracing self-identiy.
Proposed Paths
Social Coaching Guidelines
Both Kathleen and I worked actively on some homophobic social settings that might happen in real life and what ways our client should react. The updated guides for this population can be added to data bank.
Self Expression
There is still time and plenty of room for clients to have the options to express themselves not just verbally through the calls but aesthetically. Therefore, they can be the most authentic self in this VR world – motivated if you see yourself reflect within.
Added sections where clients can customize names, genders, sexual orientation. This also gives clinician foundational understanding of their clients.
Due to current version of Charisma on Unreal, the characters have not yet designed to be more realistic with options to express body types. However, there is a plan for this matter. The demo in the photo that I created on Unreal Engine MetaHumans.
Campaign and Outreach
To expand Charisma, I proposed to collaborate with schools, colleges and universities. Beside offering services to students, we potentially offer trainings for staffs, families.
Counselors who are working with families and friends of LGBT youth may wish to illuminate how language has the potential to invalidate LGBT youth’s concerns and be experienced as microaggressions.
Including empathic awareness of strengths and struggles, will assist in providing more comprehensive and beneficial counseling interventions.
Things I learned from project
- In 2015 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) included a question to ascertain sexual identity for the first time in its standard questionnaire used by the states and large urban school districts.
- It is always a great opportunity to work with interdisciplinary team.
- Be open to any design challenges in different disciplines.
- Be willing to wearing “multiple hats“.
Take-aways:
Center for BrainHealth
- Our peak brain performance is tomorrow.
- Healthy brain is for EVERYONE.
- Neuroplasticity <3
- Brain power of paradox and infinite thinking = good design thinking
- Do Something New, every day.
- Good things will come when everyone from different background comes together, shares knowledge, sets goal and works towards it.
- Embracing gratitude and compassion.
- 5 breaks for 5 minutes during the day.
- Good sleep = good work