Microsoft Inclusion Journey
An engagement platform for progress
Designit was asked to create a unique learning and engagement experience for Microsoft. This project wasn’t directly related to Microsoft’s corporate DEI work or positioning. It was to be built as a platform for learning and sharing on the topics of diversity and inclusion at work, as well as in society at large.
Our first phase was a proof-of-concept exercise to support the DEI team in securing support and funding from internal leadership. We developed a pitch that wove a narrative around our concept, “Work in Progress,” through strategy, verbal expression, and a unique new visual language for the company. Our second phase was to build the experience and produce original content to populate it.
The stakes were high and the opportunities boundless. Our storytelling construct was so resonant that it was also used for the very first Microsoft Include event, which coincided with the release of the website.
“Work in Progress” manifesto
We can’t just do more. We can’t just do better. We must do the work. We intend to dismantle established systems and build something different. Progress on this scale takes more than an initiative.
It takes ALL OF US doing the actual work. Progress is, and will always be, a work in progress. It will never be perfect. It will never be polished. It will be very hard. And it will require us to take a hard look at ourselves, our decisions, our perceptions, our attitudes, and the impact we have on the world around us.
Working toward progress means acknowledging the past and present, and holding ourselves and each other accountable for the future. As individuals, as organizations, and as a culture, we are all works in progress. We must embrace this imperfection and pivot our focus toward action.
Learn new ways. Unlearn old limitations. Test. Implement what works and repair or reinvent what doesn’t. Because the reality is, helping everyone do more means dedicating ourselves to do the work to get better.
Uncompromising action for change means our work is never done.
“WOW! This is the sentiment I have, as do many others, about the incredible work this team has done in partnership with GD&I to bring the Inclusion Journey site from an idea to a reality. From the assets, creative, and endless reviews, to the site experience and end-user-first approach—we could not have done it without the expertise and hard work from each and every one of you.
On behalf of Global Diversity & Inclusion Team and Microsoft—thank you. We appreciate all the long hours, passion, teamwork, and effort that has gone into this. Congratulations on a successful site launch and all that this encompasses.”
Lindsay-Rae McIntyre
Chief Diversity Officer, Microsoft
Getting creative during the pandemic
The production of this project was during the height of the pandemic. This made creating group scenes a real challenge. Not only did we need to do extensive casting work to ensure authentic and thorough representation, but we had to shoot each individual subject separately and merge them together in the final scene.
Want to see the entire experience?
The Microsoft Diversity and Inclusion Journey is live and a major part of Microsoft’s efforts to make the world a more inclusive and equitable place.