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The Inclusive Innovation Playbook
The Inclusive Innovation Playbook
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The SocioTech Impact Canvas

Explore interactions between technology and society to create a positive impact
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The SocioTech Impact Canvas
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Click on the image to download the template.

What is it?

The
SocioTech Impact
⁠
Canvas helps you to explore the bi-directional relationship between your technological innovations and society. It guides you in assessing the impact technology can have on social systems and vice versa, both in the past and in the future.
The SocioTech Impact Canvas provides a framework to facilitate the necessary considerations for ensuring that technological advancements consider and benefit society as whole.

Why does it matter?

Innovation often stems from a focus on the needs of a dominant user group, without consideration for the wider societal impact. Technological products are not ‘objective’ or ‘neutral’ — they shape social systems. Conversely, social systems shape how tech products impact people.
It is therefore critical to interrogate:
How one’s tech product — the beliefs and biases embedded in it, the institutional and technological affordances reflected in it, etc. — shape social systems like race, gender, and power.
How social systems themselves — cultural norms, narrative, structures of inequality, etc. — shape the technological product or service offering.

When should you use it?

Employ the SocioTech Impact Canvas when exploring how a technological innovation may impact, and be impacted, by society at large.
Ideally, integrate this reflection into the innovation process early on, but it can also be a valuable tool for enhancing existing technologies. Facilitate cross-functional discussions internally or seek direct feedback from current and potential users to enrich the exploration.

How does it work?

The SocioTech Impact Canvas guides you in evaluating how your technological innovation may influence, and be influenced by, society, considering both historical impacts and potential future scenarios.
Invite a diverse set of relevant stakeholders to review the The SocioTech Impact page of this Playbook to provide context. Then invite them to a workshop to generate ideas together.

1. The Impact of Technology on Social Systems:

Add post-it notes to the canvas to explore the impact of your technology on social systems, including:
The impact of encoded beliefs, biases, and values.
The impact on human agency.
The impact on power dynamics or societal impact of bad actors
The impact on cultural norms or social dynamics.
The impact on access to information or opportunities.
Consider both past and potential future impacts.

2. The Impact of Social Systems on Technology:

Add post-it notes to the canvas to examine how social systems may impact your technology, including:
The impact of the complex interactions of people with the technology.
The impact of bad actors.
The impact of societal position on system behavior or user experience.
The impact of the narrative used to frame the problem and shape the solution.
The impact of the existing cultural norms & rituals of relevant communities.
Consider both past and potential future impacts.

3. Generate ideas for action

Generate ideas for how you can;
mitigate potential harm and contribute to societal well-being.
adapt your technology to be more responsive and inclusive of societal factors in order to create a more positive social impact for all.

Once your SocioTech Impact Canvas is populated with these insights, prioritise and integrate them into your strategic roadmap or project backlog to ensure these inclusive changes translate from ideas into actionable improvements.
What is it?
Why does it matter?
When should you use it?
How does it work?
1. The Impact of Technology on Social Systems:
2. The Impact of Social Systems on Technology:
3. Generate ideas for action
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