A few days ago, I had the privilege of speaking to the Standard Life plc Digital Inclusion Champions Network about “When Technology Becomes an Opportunity.”
I shared a story that shaped my journey over the years.
I once found a website offering something like 50 books for £1. I love books, so I thought I'd found the deal of the century. 😂
I entered my details. I wasn't charged that day, so I joked that the sellers were basically Father Christmas.
The next day, I discovered my bank account had been emptied.
I needed help immediately, but I couldn't effectively navigate the online support at that moment. I knew I needed to get to the physical bank, but before I could get there, the rest of the money was gone.
That experience changed how I think about technology and the people using it.
Access doesn't automatically create confidence.
Years later, working with underserved communities in Africa, I began seeing the same challenge from another perspective.
As I worked with underserved communities, I started hearing different concerns:
“I don’t know what to click.”
“What if I get it wrong?”
“How do I know this is safe?”
That became one of the foundations of how I think about digital inclusion:
Access > Skills > Confidence > Opportunity.
The conversation then moved into product design.
Someone asked:
“Knowing what you know now, what could have been done better?”
That took me straight to one of the most important questions in UX:
What does “simple” actually mean?
For me, simple doesn't mean fewer features.
It means people shouldn't have to work harder than necessary to achieve what they came to do.
We also looked at digital inclusion in the age of AI, digital skills, laptop access, confidence, and what happens after someone receives a device.
Because giving someone access is one thing.
Helping them turn that access into an opportunity is another.
I'm incredibly grateful to Diane Webb for inviting me into this conversation following my AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2026 Young Pioneer recognition, and to everyone who challenged my thinking with such thoughtful questions.
Thank you, Leigh Smyth FRSA, for the trust and opportunity you've given me through ImpactMatch. It was special to bring together product design, technology, digital inclusion and lived experience in one conversation.
Technology should open doors, not become another barrier.
And sometimes our responsibility is not only to open the door.
It's to help someone feel confident enough to walk through it.
What an event 🙌 So many outstanding takeaways, and a great community!