DanceCode
PROBLEM
Most women don't know that they can choose to lead in partner dance. And, when women do want to lead, other dancers might not be aware.
GOAL
To make role options and role choices visible in the partner dance gatherings.
OUTCOME
A wristband kit for dance organizations that facilitates dance floor interactions based on role preference instead of gender bias.
TOOLS
FigJam
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Google Forms
maze.co
Keynote
DURATION
7 weeks
CLIENT
MFA thesis
Role & Collaborators
MY ROLE
Lead designer
WHAT I DID
Problem definition, stakeholder interviews, rapid physical and digital prototyping, user testing, A/B testing
COLLABORATORS
Christine Nieves: video and photographer
Kristine Mudd: service design advisor
PARTNERS
Bailamos Juntos Social: Latin dance org.
The Fusion Experience: Latin dance org.
Blues Dance New York: Blues dance org.
DanceCode is a wristband kit for dance organizations that facilitates dance floor interactions based on role preference instead of gender bias.
Designed to prevent women from falling into the follower role unknowingly, DanceCode confronts all dancers with their options and simultaneously supports them in communicating their preferred roles.
research
Problem definition
Caption pending.
Not a problem of ignorance but a problem of communication.
Field research
It takes more than using gender-neutral language to create inclusive spaces where women can lead. It takes confronting
A women-only experience to provide support and holistic skills.
User research
Most new dancers fall into gender-conforming roles automatically.
The sooner women begin leading, the easier it becomes. Women who started leading early on their dance journey, or who learned to lead and follow simultaneously, reported to feel extremely lucky.
development
Collaboration artifacts
Tools for communicating the concept to the team.
I shared a rough storyboard and a detailed event agenda with my photo/video team and other collaborators. These tools made communicating the concept and expectations for the event clear and acted as the very first low-fi prototype.
Branding and marketing
A feminine tone disrupts perceptions of leadership.
Inspired by queer brands like Lex, I designed
a friendly and proud but distinctly feminine brand. I liaised with local partner dance teachers and organizers to advertise on print and social media. Eventbrite was the event's main hub for sign-ups and customer communications. I tested all assets and props, before final production.
Experience prototype
I gathered a small group of friends and tested the music, workshop agenda and facilitation approaches. The biggest takeaway was that the music needed to be more energetic.
Participant interactions and music are the biggest drivers of energy.
implementation
Experience journey
The three key phases of the experience were discovery, generosity, and becoming. These were capped by an intake form and an outtake reflection.
Tying reflection, dancing, and community with goals in mind.
Participant reactions
Energizing, challenging, and fun—when's the next one?
Dancers' reactions during and after the experience were highly positive. Qualitative data gathered from the outtake survey revealed participants' improved mood and new insights about leadership. There was explicit interest in future workshop availability.
Takeaways
Next steps
1. Experiences that require a strict user journey for completion can not be time-based (particularly if they are free). Lateness will fundamentally alter the experience of latecomers. To make highly-controlled story-based experiences less risky, they should be self-guided, like those of a museum.
2. While I would love to believe that gender demographics do not affect our actions and emotions, I left this experience convinced that it does have an impact. Creating a women's-only partner dance space had a fundamental impact in the energy of the event.
3. There is an opportunity to continue altering gender dynamics beyond single-gender demographics.
4. Integrating verbal reflection as part of the workshop helped participants develop rapport and empathy with others incredibly quickly.
I'd like to create a similar experience with switch-role mechanics that is open to dancers of all genders, OR create an experience with single-role mechanics where women lead the whole class and men follow the whole class. I think that testing these class dynamics in a safe and supportive environment might be even more enlightening, humbling and transformative for individual dancers and the Latin dance community at large.