If you design, build, and ship consumer tech, run don’t walk to pick up a copy of Sarah Wachter-Boettcher’s book Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech. In the book, Wachter-Boettcher points out dozens of examples of tech-development-gone-wrong and offers tips and insights on making it right. One rule right out of the gate: Resist the urge to “design for average.” Instead, take inspiration from extreme use cases!
Another rule, kind of an overarching one in the book: Hire and support women developers. Diverse dev teams will not only help your company avoid embarrassing mistakes, but they will make your products super better!
Author website: Sarah Wachter-Boettcher
SELECTED REVIEWS
- Female input is needed to remove bias in products, Financial Times (March 2018)
- Tech Products Should Cater to the Bleeding Edge Cases, Slate (Nov 2017)
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