A presentation at JSConf Hawaii in in Honolulu, HI, USA by Taylor Ho
THE POWER TO THINK LIKE A NATIVE HAWAIIAN IN TECH Taylor Kekai Matthew Ho @tellaho_
ALOHA MAI KĀKOU, MY NAME IS TAYLOR HO. AND I’M A DESIGNER.
DESIGNER SAN FRANCISCO “DEVELOPER” HAWAI‘I NEI “DESIGNER/DEVELOPER” SAN FRANCISCO
“CREATIVE”
Web design… ?
I WAS 14
Now, I’ve often wondered what has helped inspire my creativity?
inspire me creatively? Now, I’ve often wondered what has helped inspire my creativity? Not in spite of the fact that I’m Hawaiian… but because I am Hawaiian!
KOLOHE adj. Mischievous, rascal, rogue, to be a prankster.
KOLOHE
TAKING CALCULATED RISKS
TAKING CALCULATED RISKS
BEING KOLOHE → RISK MANAGEMENT 1. Set out what you are going to do. 2. Think real hard. Assess the potential risk & reward. – 3. Calibrate… or just do it. 4. Learn.
BEING KOLOHE → RISK MANAGEMENT 1. Set out what you are going to do. 2. Think real hard. Assess the potential risk & reward. – 3. Calibrate… or just do it. 4. Learn.
BEING KOLOHE → RISK MANAGEMENT 1. Set out what you are going to do. 2. Think real hard. Assess the potential risk & reward. – 3. Calibrate… or just do it. 4. Learn.
BEING KOLOHE → RISK MANAGEMENT 1. Set out what you are going to do. 2. Think real hard. Assess the potential risk & reward. – 3. Calibrate… or just do it. 4. Learn.
MARATHON TEAM
body { filter: saturate(0%); }
LEARN FROM “CONSTRUCTIVE” FEEDBACK People in chat complained. Youtube tutorials to disable it popped up. Colleagues had things to say, too.
LEARN FROM POSITIVE FEEDBACK As expected, Chat™ also meme’d. We raised a bunch of money ($42K). Colleagues loved us for it.
Making an impact on the world is going to take a little “kolohe”.
ALOHA& MAI ALOHA AKU ALOHA hello, goodbye, love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, kindness, sentiment, grace.
“In Hawaii we greet friends, love ones or strangers with aloha, which means with love. love Aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality hospitality, which make Hawaii renowned as the world’s center of understanding and fellowship fellowship.” meet or leaving Try meeting leave people with aloha. aloha You’ll be surprise by their reaction. I believe it and it is my creed. Aloha to you, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku
love understanding fellowship hospitality meet and leave people with aloha
OTHERS ALOHA AKU AKU outward YOU
AKU ALOHA MAI OTHERS MAI inward YOU
YOU CARRY ALOHA.
FRIEND’S FRIEND YOU PEOPLE RECIPROCATE.
YOU ALOHA PROPAGATES ALOHA.
~7MI ~7MI
Mahimahi Rice Teri beef Potato salad Chicken Brown gravy
MIX PLATE n. A plate lunch with several types of “main” or entree servings put on the same plate. (Also how you describe a person of multiple ethnic backgrounds)
A lot of us have rich, mixed heritages. 1 in 4 people here are “mix plate”.
NATIVE HAWAIIAN JAPANESE CHINESE PORTUGUESE GERMAN A lot of us have rich, mixed heritages. 1 in 4 people here are “mixed plate”.
NATIVE HAWAIIAN JAPANESE CHINESE PORTUGUESE GERMAN A lot of us have rich, mixed heritages. 1 in 4 people here are “mixed plate”.
UX DESIGNER UI DEVELOPER MOTION GRAPHICS GRAPHIC DESIGN DATA VIS A lot of us have rich, mixed heritages. 1 in 4 people here are “mixed plate”.
UX DESIGNER UI DEVELOPER MOTION GRAPHICS GRAPHIC DESIGN DATA VIS A lot of us have rich, mixed heritages. 1 in 4 people here are “mixed plate”.
This diversity, or range, is a strength. A more robust toolbelt, so to say.
Functional fixedness The inability to think outside the box.
Reach into your personal journey for perspectives and solutions no one else brings. Surround yourself with people who think different.
Reach into your personal journey for perspectives and solutions no one else brings. Surround yourself with people who think different. Hiring diversely introduces unique styles of problem solving to your team.
Surround yourself with people who think different. Hiring diversely introduces unique styles of problem solving to your team.
LŌKAHI n. Unity, agreement, harmony.
LŌKAHI IN THE CANOE: WIN THE RACE $ % ! !
“
LŌKAHI AT WORK: BE THE TRI-FORCE
LŌKAHI AT WORK: BE THE TRI-FORCE DESIGN PROD ENG
LŌKAHI AT WORK: BE THE TRI-FORCE UX Visual Viability DESIGN Systems thinking Coordination PROD ENG Feasibility
LŌKAHI AT WORK: BE THE TRI-FORCE Trust DESIGN PROD ENG Feedback Interdependance
NTH LŌKAHI AT WORK: BE THE TRI-FORCE DESIGN ✨ ✨ The magic PROD ENG
LŌKAHI AT WORK: BE THE NTH-FORCE TRI QA Clients DevOps UXR Copy PMM BD
HA‘INA ‘IA MAI ANA KA PUANA And so the story is told.
Mahalo nui and aloha. Thank you very much and good bye.
Diversity, in both small and large tech companies, is now understood as a critical component to innovation. In the same way individual generalists are able to make connections across disciplines, members of a diverse team contribute perspectives that would have otherwise been unknown. This is perhaps what Steve Jobs was referencing to when he eloquently recited “Think Different”.
This talk uses my experiences as a Native Hawaiian programmer and designer working at Twitch as a launching point to discuss the benefits of introducing cultural and thought diversity into an organization.
This talk will also discuss core concepts I’ve learned from a Hawaiian upbringing that I believe can lead to positive contributions in the tech space, such as the benefits of being kolohe (having a rebellious nature), committing to aloha (in part the generous spirit of giving without expecting), favoring lōkahi (unity, harmony) over personal gain and others.
Edited from original abstract
The following resources were mentioned during the presentation or are useful additional information.
Nā Puke Wehewehe ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
Nā Puke Wehewehe ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
Nā Puke Wehewehe ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
Wikipedia
“Hawaii is home to the nation’s largest share of multiracial Americans” • Pew Research Center
“Want to Be Less Racist? Move to Hawaii” • The New York Times
Dorm Life episode • Da Scoops, UH Productions
Mānoa Experience: Taylor • UH Productions
Here’s what was said about this presentation on social media.
for free. You
can too.