Lately, the importance of inclusive design has been widely recognized and emphasized. I used to think it was the same as universal design and accessibility, but as I delved deeper, I learned that they are quite different.
In the following explanation, I will discuss the concept of inclusive design with some examples and its differences from other design approaches.
Inclusive Design
Image by Freepik
Microsoft defines inclusive design as follows:
Inclusive Design is a methodology, born out of digital environments, that enables and draws on the full range of human diversity. Most importantly, this means including and learning from people with a range of perspectives.
Inclusive design is a design methodology that focuses on the people who have been previously excluded and collaborate with them to incorporate their diverse perspective into the design.
Inclusive design is broad and encompasses various aspects such as disability, race, age, gender and more. Therefore, a good starting point is to identify and eliminate exclusion in the design. For example, if scissors are designed exclusively for right-handed people, and left-handed people find them hard to use, including left-handed people in the design process would be inclusive design.
Examples of Inclusive Design
Kellogg - Accessible packaging
- To help blind and partially-sighted people, this technology enables smartphones to easily detect the package code and to play back important label information such as allergen details.
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- Tying shoelaces can be challenging for individuals with special needs, such as those with Cerebral Palsy. Nike has launched a hands-free sneaker, enabling these individuals to independently put on their shoes without having to rely on assistance.
Johnson & Johnson - Diverse skin tone plasters
- Johnson & Johnson has launched a range of bandages in various color tones to promote racial inclusivity.
Inclusive Design vs Universal Design
Image by macrovector on Freepik
According to Ireland’s Disability Act of 2005, universal design is defined as follows:
The design of an environment so that it might be accessed and used in the widest possible range of situations without the need for adaptation.
The goal of universal design is to ensure that everyone, regardless of disabilities, can use the same products and services. On the other hand, anything that deviates from mainstream can be a subject of inclusive design. Jutta Treviranus, the founder of the Inclusive Design Research Centre, said Universal design is “one-size-fits-all” while inclusive design is “one-size-fits-one”.
Another distinction is that universal design focuses on an outcome, while inclusive design focuses on a process. Universal design has principles that emphasize attributes of the end result, such as “Flexibility in use” and “Simple and intuitive”. In contrast, inclusive design focuses on the steps of involving ostracized people in the design process.
Inclusive Design vs Accessibility
Microsoft defines Accessibility as follows:
The qualities that make an experience open to all.
A professional discipline aimed at achieving No.1.
Accessibility is an attribute, while inclusive design is a method. Accessibility is part of inclusive design.
Inclusive design and accessibility work hand in hand to make experiences that are usable and open to as many different people as possible. Some examples of features for accessibility are text resizing, image alternative text, and speech recognition.
Conclusion
Inclusive design, universal design, and accessibility are all crucial elements in designing products or services that can be used by as many people as possible. If you want to make your design more inclusive, it is important to be mindful of who you are excluding and what you can do to eliminate the exclusion.
Reference
- Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design by Kat Holmes