ESG Seashells | 04 🐚
Each week, one learning, polished into a practical takeaway and a ripple question.
Shell: The gaps are at the intersections.
Found: DIFERA 2 training and a reminder that people don’t experience work, systems, or risk in neat, single categories.
Why it matters:
Intersectionality is often described as a prism for seeing how different forms of inequality operate together and compound. In practice, that means a policy, process, or programme can look inclusive on paper, and still create friction for people navigating overlapping barriers.
This is where intersectional design thinking becomes useful. It asks us to treat inclusion like good design: not something we bolt on at the end, but something we consider upstream, while choices are still flexible.
That mindset matters beyond workplace culture too. ESG outcomes, especially climate and sustainability, don’t land evenly. Access to resources, safety, time, health, and economic security all shape who feels risk first and who benefits last.
Polish (practical takeaway):
Try weaving intersectional design thinking into your workflow, not as a separate exercise, but as a habit:
✨ When shaping a decision, pause and ask: Who are we designing this for and who might struggle quietly?
✨ When pressure-testing a policy or project, look for hidden costs (time, energy, money, disclosure, safety).
✨ When reviewing outcomes, notice who opted out, disengaged, or needed extra workarounds, and redesign from there.
Small questions, asked early, prevent big gaps later.
Gem: Inclusion that works at the intersections is inclusion that actually works.
Ripple (question):
Where in your workflow could you slow down just enough to design for real lives, not an “average” one?
Thank you to Liberate Jersey for delivering the DIFERA training and Saltgate for creating space for employees to take part.
#Saltgate #Intersectionality #DesignThinking #InclusiveLeadership #Culture #Sustainability
