“It’s essential that whoever we work with—and in whatever way we work—we foster inclusion at every step. And when I say inclusion, accessibility is a tiny part of it…Inclusion has so many more dimensions.”
Aleksandra Melnikova is an experience designer, strategist, speaker, and co-founder of Cosmic Velocity—an inclusive research, UX and service design agency in London. She joins Design Chats with guest host Erin Thibeau for a conversation touching on everything from Holacratic governance to Buddhist philosophy.
Aleksandra talks about the values driving her agency’s work, the “beautiful and ever-changing” world of inclusive design and leadership as a service. Aleksandra also shares examples of activities she’s facilitated to build culture and foster diversity and inclusion—both in her team and in client engagements.
Listen as Aleksandra and Erin discuss:
- Coming to a definition of inclusion by first discussing exclusion
- Three ways that practitioners pursuing inclusive design and research can set themselves up for success
- Why Cosmic Velocity partners with other agencies rather than pitching against each other
- Leadership models, mindsets and frameworks that reject hierarchy
- How she helps designers envision a different future by detaching from day-to-day tasks and entering a play environment
- …and much more
Follow Aleksandra’s work on her LinkedIn page. For designers looking to contribute more strategically, drive value in their organizations, and build influence, explore Pragmatic Design’s courses.
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The Pragmatic Editorial Team comprises a diverse team of writers, researchers, and subject matter experts. We are trained to share Pragmatic Institute’s insights and useful information to guide product, data, and design professionals on their career development journeys. Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Since 1993, we’ve issued over 250,000 product management and product marketing certifications to professionals at companies around the globe. For questions or inquiries, please contact [email protected].