Summary
Of South Africa’s total population, 92% are people of color. In Design however, it’s less than 9%. As a Cape Colored Designer, this made having an identity that my fellow designers could relate to extremely difficult as I am neither Black nor White. In order to navigate a post-apartheid country, I had to realize that belonging nowhere could mean that I, in fact, could belong everywhere. This talk is about the “Cultural Edge Effect” of my heritage and how that has helped me build Enterprise Design teams and attract and build the diverse design skills of South Africa’s future.
Key Insights
-
•
South Africa's legacy of segregation still echoes psychologically and structurally today.
-
•
Dean's identity as 'not fitting in' granted him a unique, inclusive perspective across cultures.
-
•
The 'edu effect' describes how cultural and genetic diversity at boundaries creates greater resilience.
-
•
Early career exclusion experiences helped Dean develop empathy for marginalized designers.
-
•
Design industry hiring biases stem from availability bias and lack of pipeline, requiring long-term efforts.
-
•
Leadership should prioritize being effective over being certain, embracing discomfort and uncertainty.
-
•
Metaphor of crabs shedding shells illustrates that growth involves vulnerability, discomfort, and community support.
-
•
Pot plants symbolize dependency on external factors, while crabs embody proactive self-directed growth.
-
•
The 'end of history illusion' biases individuals to underestimate future personal change.
-
•
Building inclusive teams needs ongoing cultural effort, mentorship, and openness to challenging conversations.
Notable Quotes
"Not belonging anywhere meant that I had access everywhere."
"Availability bias means hiring managers often pick fruit from a tree they haven't planted."
"Care less about being certain and more about being effective."
"Society grows great when old people plant trees they know they shall never sit in."
"Don't be a pot plant, be a crab."
"Crabs grow by shedding their shells, which is uncomfortable but necessary."
"When crabs shed their shells, they're vulnerable, so they gather in safe groups for protection."
"The end of history illusion is that we think we're done evolving, but we vastly underestimate future change."
"Constraints can channel focus, but being stuck in them limits potential."
"If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Storytelling helps surface machine quirks and failures that aren't documented—AI as assistant ethnographer has great potential."
Ben Reason Aline Horta Majid Iqbal Fabiano LeoniMaking the system visible: The fastest path to better decisions
November 20, 2025
"Maybe you should consider making mobile the place you start your accessibility efforts."
Sam ProulxMobile Accessibility: Why Moving Accessibility Beyond the Desktop is Critical in a Mobile-first World
March 10, 2022
"We don’t just want to make customers satisfied, but provide an amazing experience and get those around us excited about what we’re doing."
Anna Nguyen Emily BroganWhy Our Voice of the Customer is Better Than Yours
March 10, 2022
"The dream of cross-functional agile collaboration is there, but it’s quite hard to realize that because teams don’t have enough time to build trust."
Abby Covert Tomer SharonPanel: Collaboration Tools
November 6, 2017
"Accessibility really is a moving target; starting somewhere and iterating is better than waiting for perfection."
Phil HeskethDesigning Accessible Research Workflows
September 29, 2021
"Websites and digital spaces should be government, not just provide information about government."
Irina Tikhonova Kari DietrichSmall Wins, Big Impact: Leveraging and Elevating User Engagement
December 9, 2021
"Sustainability and accessibility often go hand in hand, not in conflict."
Tim FrickThe journey of building a sustainable design practice
April 23, 2025
"In large organizations, soft skills are the hard skills—it's all about how you connect with humans and express your core values."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021
"City Hall is often risk-averse, and professionals of color face extra penalties for taking risks in their careers."
Justin Entzminger Terrance Smith Tracy M. Colunga Mai-Ling GarciaRisk and Reward: How to Diversify the Field of Civic Innovators and Designers
November 17, 2022
