Designing Inclusive Open Source Communities
Tammie Lister @karmatosed
Davide Casali @folletto
Davide Casali @folletto
Tammie Lister @karmatosed
Product Designer Automattic
Founder Baker Framework
Contributor WordPress
UX Designer Automattic
Contributor BuddyPress
Contributor WordPress
An open collective of creators that unites to reach a common open goal.
Open Source Community
The community is defined by the community.
CHAPTER 3
Problems
Power problems
Cultural problems
How can you have a local culture when the project is global?
Local Culture
Are your tools, documentation, forums, reporting tools accessible to everyone?
Developer only spaces
Are your tools, documentation, forums, reporting tools accessible to everyone?
Jargon
Do you require a specific timezone or location to participate in the community?
Keeping up to date
How do you address the power inequality of commit access?
Decision power is in the code
Who decides? Who really decides?
Decision making
How do you communicate when everyone isn’t like you?
Personalities
Who has the power and soft skills to avoid conversations escalating?
Divergent opinions
CHAPTER 4
Diversity
In a social group, the coexistence of individuals that belong to different dimensions.
Diversity
* but… the definition can be quite fuzzy in this context.
KINDS OF DIVERSITY
Cultural
Gender
Race
Neurodiversity
Ability
Age
Skills
Economic
In a social group, it’s an active process that aims to acknowledge, express, and increase its diversity.
Inclusivity
McKinsey & Co. (2014) Diversity Matters Report
WHY?
Diversity means a wider pool of talent.
Diversity means better understanding of customers.
Diversity means higher employee satisfaction.
Diversity means better decision making.
Diversity means enhanced impact on society.
McKinsey & Co. (2014) Diversity Matters Report
Gender Diversity
+15%Ethnic Diversity
+35%
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
CHAPTER 5
Building
It all starts with communication.
1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
6 / Transparency
7 / Credit
8 / Open to Failure
Identify the personas you want to involve.
TYPES OF PERSONAS
Designers
Writers
Event Organisers
Developers
Testers
Support
2 / Core Team Growth
1 / Personas
Leading chorus not leading voice.
Mentoring new contributors
Mentoring new leads
1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
Different people enjoy and are stressed by different things.
Focus on what you only can do, not what you’re good at doing.
Thanks to Brie Anne Demkiw for the tip.
Create key forwarders, not key doers.
1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
Your first contributionHow did it feel?
1
Onboarding… for each persona!
Identify easy ways to start
CASE
Tag simple bugs with a special intro tag
CASE
UX-Feedback tag on WP and impact
1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
There are many ways to contribute.
You can… write documentation.
You can… improve existing tickets.
CASE
Guide making new tickets
WordPress
You can… translate.
You can… run tests with users.
You can… support people.
CASE
Response Time Baker Framework
1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
6 / Transparency
Discuss everything in the open
Avoids groupthinkADVANTAGE
New people get up to speed quicklyADVANTAGE
CASE
Do everything in the open even releases
Meeting etiquette
Timezones-8 -5 -2 +5 +2 +8
1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
6 / Transparency
7 / Credit
Props for every commit
Props for every contribution
CASE
WordPressRelease Announcements
CASE
WordPressProfile Badges
CASE
Show historyof people in project
Great jobProps
ThanksGIVE F*CKING CREDIT.
1 / Personas
2 / Core Team Growth
3 / Delegate
4 / Onboard
5 / Many Ways to Contribute
6 / Transparency
7 / Credit
8 / Open to Failure
Admit your faults.
Show people they can make mistakes and still participate.
Accept changes in direction.
CHAPTER 6
Experimentation & Iteration
Keep iterating on both the community and the project.
Keep the project alive.
“”
BRUCE LEE
Be water my friend.
Thanks
Tammie Lister @karmatosed
Davide Casali @folletto