Problem:
META needs women
When META gave us these 4 problem spaces, I realized that in order to create a solution that would make a lasting impact, I had to dig deeper and find the bigger underlying issue as to why there is a barrier for users entering the metaverse.
The team that I was on was an all-female team so during initial brainstorming, topics of diversity, inclusion and empowerment kept coming to the surface. While speaking with some of the Meta Mentors we were informed that there is a huge lack of women creators using and creating with Horizons. While we found the perfect area of focus, I had to first figure out why women were facing initial hurdles when getting involved with the metaverse.
Research:
Women game for social achievement engagement and to maintain relationships. They enjoy aspects of world building games that allow for more customization and connection. Women game from a point of building connections and these games are not present in horizons.
While this was vital information that helped us further the concept, the next question arose:
why aren't these types of games in horizons?
…There aren't enough female creators in horizons!
It was found that only 30% of game developers in 2020 were female!
How do you expect for there to be more games for women if there aren't women creating them?
To get more games for women you need more women creating them
And this steered us to yet another major question:
Why aren’t women creating games in horizons?
Researchers also examined 11.5 hours of footage from VR chat in the metaverse, and found 100 possible violations of the companies VR policy which included bullying sexual harassment as well as grooming of minors.
It was concluded that these incidents happened about every 7 minutes.
It is obvious that there is no simple or straightforward fix to dealing with the sexism that us as women face. So… it was clear that there was not going to be a simple fix to getting women into the metaverse.
Solution:
Women need META
•Women need games that pertain to their interests.
•Women need a mobile gaming component to be drawn in.
•Women need more female game developers.
•Women need a safe space.
Merging these goals creates a domino affect, so how did I do it?:
Step 1)
META needs to create a gold star world building game
A high budget VR game that caters to women’s gaming wants and needs of engaging socially, challenging themselves, and expressing themselves creativity.
Step 2)
Cross-Platform Connection
Introduce a mobile version of this VR world building game to facilitate initial engagement and entice the female audience who makes up the majority of the mobile gaming community.
Step 3)
AI-Assisted Creation Tools
Implement AI tools for the metaverse SDK to support content creation making it easier for more women from this newly attracted audience to contribute to the game building community on Horizons.
Step 4)
Women Mentorship Programs
Create a safe space where female gamers and creators can go, connect, learn, explore, and game.
These 4 steps work to :
Attract women, retain women, gain more women and empower women to create a sustainable social platform in the metaverse
This approach is neither linear nor a one-size-fits-all solution.
Getting women into the metaverse cannot and should not be solved with a single product because it doesn’t come down to one single issue.
The Designs:
A world-building, social connection-based game with cross-platform compatibility will attract a larger female audience. AI tools that ease the game creation will further encourage more women to create games, fostering a cycle where games by females cater to female players. As women observe the participation of others in the metaverse, they will be more inclined to join. Providing a safe space through mentorship programs is essential once women are involved.
AI Assisted Development
Women's Creator Hub
Pitch presentation
META needs women, but…
women need META
and these are the steps to get there.
Reflecting
While starting this experience off the biggest challenge arose when initially attempting to devise a concise solution. However, we realized that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the gender gap. We reframed the project entirely to include multiple steps to achieve our overall goal, addressing current gaps and ensuring long-term sustainability and engagement of women using Quest.
We measured the success of the project by gathering feedback from META mentors, ranging from product designers to software engineers to researchers. Our presentation coincided with International Women's Day, amplifying the significance of our work. The overall feedback and reactions were priceless. One memorable quote came from a designer who said, "Your project is the reason we wanted to hold this Sprint." It was a truly rewarding experience to see our efforts culminate in a presentation that emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
