OverviewIt's very common to feel isolated and unsupported when pursuing an education in technology as a woman of color. When I started studying tech related disciplines in college, I realized that there weren't many people in my classrooms that looked like me or shared my same experiences. Furthermore, when it came to getting help or guidance, I felt like no one understood what it was like to feel like an outsider while pursuing my degree.
WoBlac. is an individual passion project that rooted from my own struggles as a woman of color in technology, and was created for the support and encouragement of black female students studying in tech. Here, students can create study groups with students from universities across the U.S, discuss pressing and/or interesting topics in the community section, browse black and women tailored tech events, and receive encouragement notifications and reminders to keep going. Users can also build a network of connections and message other users right in the app. |
Imposter Syndrome 🙍🏾♀️
In an online study, more than half of women said they have felt like impostors. For Black women, the intersecting challenges of racism and sexism make them even more susceptible to impostor syndrome. A 2020 study found that for black scholars in STEM, gender was one of the many intersecting identities that contributed to feelings of impostor syndrome, with black women often being the only or one of very few in their field.
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Academic Support & Encouragement 📚
I learned that effective study groups can help students learn course material in a deeper, more concrete way. Groups that are effective generate positive energy, encourage active participation, instill discipline, and require commitments from members. These skills are certainly important for learning.
Some influential black women that are prominent in this community are Michelle Obama, Beyonce, Simone Biles, and plenty more. I could use these influences to send positive messages. |
Community Forums 💬
I looked through community threads to gauge other peoples experiences which pretty much echoed everything I was feeling myself and heard in conversations. Many black women in tech were suffering due to lack of support, lack of resources, and/or not understanding class content and wanting to give up.
There are lots of conversations about being black and a woman in technology are on reddit, many separate conversations about the same feelings I've described. |
Language 🗣
I wanted to see how people in this community were conversing like what words they used and how they comforted each other. I had prior knowledge of this from experience being a part of this community myself, though I just wanted to confirm that this language was widely shared.
The words "girl" and "look" were often markers of identity and widely used in the black community. In all, the language was more relaxed and quite different from the corporate talk that many identified as "code switching". |
TLA Black Women in Tech
Audience: Black female entrepreneurs
Mobile App: No mobile app Website: Yes, there's a website Events: Yes, events offered Community: Yes, community Study Groups: No study groups Encouragement: No dedicated encouragement component Analysis: This is a great platform for black female professionals looking to build their own business, but there is no support for students or those just starting out. |
Black Women Talk Tech
Audience: Black female experts & entrepreneurs
Mobile App: No mobile app Website: Yes, there's a website Events: Yes, events offered Community: Yes, community Study Groups: No study groups Encouragement: No dedicated encouragement component Analysis: Great platform for professionals, tells stories of black women very well, though no direct support for students. |
Product Goals & Success Metrics 🙌
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Employer Route 👩🏽💼
This route will help employers find black talent and help students get opportunities to directly address that pain point. As mentioned in earlier stages, this is something in the works from some feedback I received from a diversity recruiter at Facebook that expressed deep interest in this as it’s sometimes difficult to find women of color for the roles she’s recruiting for. This feature will help connect students and graduates to job opportunities.
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More Research & Testing 🔍
I want to do more research to make more informed decisions for this product. As shown, I have had some conversations with people that I know but I want to do more with people outside of my immediate circle to get a larger sample of evidence to support my product and claims. One thing I want to do is visit HBCUs to get insight on the product as it is, it's usefulness, and maybe different considerations I haven't thought of yet. This will ultimately make my product stronger and more accurate as I change things over time based on the research I gather.
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