Part two of my interview with ecologist Sarah Spaulding discusses how our work reaches regular people. Through diatoms.org, Sarah (and by extension, Solspace) not only supplies resources to scientists around the globe, but also provides valuable information to primary, middle, and high school kids looking to pursue future careers in science. Having easy access to this information ensures a future of budding scientists and entrepreneurs who both understand how to find the information they need on the internet and use that information to solve the world’s problems.
Being cognizant and aware of this kind of audience is essential to web development. Asking our clients not only about their needs, but also the needs of their audience guarantees that the client gets a website that is functional and generative. The creativity that goes into creating the platform is translated to the audience, inspiring the viewers to pursue their own innovations as well.
We also discuss some of the deeper questions facing many employers, particularly those in traditionally male-dominated fields — how do we diversify the workforce? Sarah and I talk about both the inherent benefits of a diverse workplace as well as the process of creating a diverse workforce. In a time when our jobs demand ever more creativity, these on-going conversations about the makeup of our companies reveal that leaders who are concerned about diversity are actually concerned about creativity. Realizing that hiring the same kinds of people leads to the same outcomes allows us to understand the value of difference. We can add creativity to our work simply by allowing more than one voice to flourish.
