Profile
When it comes to inclusive design, few people have as much applied experience as Kat Holmes. She is the author of Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design and founder of Mismatch.design. The book sets the foundation for why designing with excluded communities is more important than ever and how the process drives better solutions for everyone.
Holmes served as the Principal Director of Inclusive Design at Microsoft from 2014-2017 and led a multi-disciplinary team in the development of the award-winning Inclusive: A Microsoft Design Toolkit which Fast Company described as a “radical evolution of design thinking and practices”. The toolkit was inducted into the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. In 2017, Holmes was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business.
She has advised companies on ways to advance inclusion in product development and digital experiences. This product development approach emphasizes human diversity and results in adaptive experiences, inclusive growth, and reduced customer churn. Her work stems from three core values: There’s no such thing as an average human being. People should be in the lead, not just the center, of technology. Work with people you enjoy being around, and have fun make something worth making.
In 2018, Holmes joined Google and continues to advance inclusive development for some of the most influential technologies in the world.