The Problem: There is a need for proper representation of transgender and gender non-binary users in information systems.
Prototype with Airbnb Design
This application was created as a response to an article about the problems transgender and gender non-binary users face when being represented online.
On Airbnb, every time a guest stays with a host, each user leaves a rating and review about the other, and these metrics are used to calculate an overall user rating. This creates the potential for transgender and gender non-binary users to be misrepresented when a review references them by an old name and pronoun or their gender is assumed.
The functionality and design of the site does not offer a simple solution; unlike the feature where users can easily change the gender on their profile, there is no switch to easily change the words of other people. Users could delete their accounts and create a new one with the proper name and pronouns, but deleting their account would mean deleting all positive reviews and still does not create a fix for when their gender is assumed.
Airbnb has stated that when users reach out about this problem, they manually update the reviews to match the correct name and pronouns of the users. This proves that Airbnb practices inclusivity, but it did not go into the original design of the system.
With this feature, users are given autonomy over how they are represented online. This application mines the words of a review and lets the user change any names or pronouns to the language that best represents them.
