The Inclusive Innovation Playbook

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How To Guides

Inclusive Design

Beyond accessibility

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5 key points relating to inclusive design: Cater for all types of human diversity. Involve diverse people in the process from the outset. Meet both common & unique needs. Allow for user controlled personalisation. Anticipate impact, & mitigate harm

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“Design thinking alone is not always linked to an improved future, and often whatever form that future takes is largely the responsibility of design practitioners and the organizations of which they’re a part.” —

Adam Zeiner, Interaction Designer at the Design Institute for Health

Beyond Accessibility

Historically, inclusive design has been focused on designing for people with physical disabilities, with

accessibility⁠

being a key outcome. However, we dispelled

the myth⁠

that inclusive design is the same as accessibility. It isn’t surprising that this is a still a common misconception as so many articles and popular sources define it this way.

For example

Shopify's design guide⁠

talks about ‘being useful and usable for everyone’ and ‘building inclusive experiences’ however the focus is on disabiilty. It goes on to state that "disabilities may affect how people move, see, hear, communicate, learn, understand, and process information. As a result, it’s important to consider how to design and develop your product to support a wide range of needs and experiences."

Inclusive design is not just about disability.

⁠

The Inclusive Design Research Centre⁠

defines Inclusive Design as: design that considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference.

The Inclusive Design Research Center also reframes disability as a mismatch between the needs of a user and the design of a product or system, emphasising that disability can be experienced by any user. We have already explored how

disability can be permanent, temporary or situational⁠

The

five principles for Inclusive Innovation⁠

should set the foundation for your Inclusive design efforts.

Intentional inclusion

Embed inclusion by design, by considering diverse user needs throughout the design process, from as early as possible in the lifecycle, and not as an afterthought. Recognise that exclusion is inevitable without intentional action, and aim to minimise the impact of exclusion on a continuous basis.

The curb effect

The curb effect is the idea that building for a historically marginalised group results in better outcomes for everyone.

The curb cut in sidewalks was originally made in the 70s for wheelchair users. However everyone now uses and benefits from the dropped curb with skateboards, suitcases, pushchairs, wheelie bins or shopping carts.

There are a lot of examples throughout history;

Smartphones.

Automatic doors.

Closed captioning.

Large-grip kitchen utensils.

e-readers with adjustable print sizes.

Everyday voice assistants.

Voice assistants were originally designed to provide a new user interface for people unable to operate a keyboard. Now voice assistants like Siri and Alexa are ubiquitous in households around the world.

The type writer - a game changer for love letters!

By providing a mechanical means of producing written text, the typewriter offered an accessible alternative for individuals who struggled to use a pen or had difficulty writing due to physical limitations to express themselves more easily and effectively. This opened up new opportunities for personal correspondence, including love letters and sharing confidential thoughts. This provided a new newfound independence for some to communicate their emotions and ideas directly offering a sense of expression, privacy and control.

Design for extremes

A core goal of inclusive design is to design for as many different types of people as possible. This means creating products and services that span economic, social and cultural barriers. You should adopt a principle of designing for the most difficult cases, also known as "design for extremes" which is based on the idea that designing for the most marginalised or underserved users will result in a better design that is more inclusive and accessible for everyone.

This practice is also known as universal design. The goal is to create the best possible solution for as many people as possible, so special adaptations are not needed. It’s roots come from accessibility so thinking about people with impairments

Universal design is not enough

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Loading universaldesign.org⁠

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Whilst universal design may be a good place to start and has many merits, it doesn’t necessarily equate to inclusive design.

First we need to extend the concept to incorporate different aspects of diversity and not just disability. Then we need to recognise that sometimes a single design cannot meet all needs. Unlike universal design which aims to serve as many people as possible with a single solution, inclusive design recognises that sometimes this may not be possible and that tailored, personalised or configurable solutions are needed.

Personalisation

Personalisation is at the heart of inclusive design. It’s about creating solutions that adapt to diverse user needs, rather than ‘othering’ or taking a ‘one size fits all approach’.

The reality is that ‘one size, fits one’. However a unique solution for each user is simply not viable. Separate or specialised solutions are expensive and complex to maintain. This is not the goal. By allowing for personalisation, customisation, flexibility and configuration you can create solutions that meet diverse needs and give each user what they need.

Historically organisations used to maintain multiple versions of their website to allow for an ‘accessible’ version. Today, websites are built to allow people to plug in their accessibility tools enabling them to access the website in a way that suits them.

Consider intersectional identities to better understand the unique experiences of your users. By personalising products and services, you can ensure that they are accessible and usable for a diverse range of users with different abilities, ages, ethnicities, genders, and other characteristics. This helps to create a more inclusive digital landscape, where everyone feels welcome and valued, and has equal access to information and opportunities.

Inclusive design is about putting your users in control. Allowing their knowledge of what is best for them to be realised in your solutions.

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‘Desire paths’⁠

are paths formed in the landscape by footfall and usually represent the routes people actually need. Use this principle to find ways to let your users decide what they need, then you can more easily fulfil their needs.

Diversity by design

Core to inclusive design is considering the diversity of your potential users, across all

aspects of diversity⁠

. User-centric design is not enough if your audience is not diverse. You’ll end up designing for the dominant majority. You need to adopt a diverse-user-centered approach to innovation, where the needs and preferences of diverse users are at the forefront of the design process.

This can be achieved by incorporating diversity and inclusion into your design process through activities such as:

Conducting

Inclusive user research⁠

⁠

Diverse participation⁠

in the design process & testing with diverse users.

Use

participatory techniques⁠

to engage diverse people in your design process.

Using diverse personas who represent the true variety of human characteristics and needs of your audience.

Asking pertinent questions throughout the design process about how the design will work for people with non dominant use cases.

Proactively anticipate the impact (positive and negative) your design could have on users and others who may be affected by it. Consider the worse case scenario and how to mitigate the impact for those who could be most harmed.

Using the

Diversily Visual Frameworks⁠

to better understand diverse user needs and come up with ideas for inclusive change.

You need to take an active interest in the experience of marginalised and historically underserved users to create truly inclusive products.

Participatory design

⁠

Participatory design methods⁠

are about creating, with, not for. Organisations should engage with diverse users and stakeholders throughout the innovation process with methods such as design thinking, co-design workshops, focus groups or user testing sessions. Your design practices should be open, transparent and inclusive.

Underrepresented stakeholders should be be engaged authentically and as early as possible. This will ensure that their needs, preferences and pain points are considered in the design and development of products and services. It is critical to build trust and engagement with diverse communities and democratise the innovation process making it more inclusive.

“The power of Inclusive Innovation is that it doesn’t just invite underrepresented voices and perspectives into the innovation ecosystem; it places them at the center of it.”

From

Designing a Process for Inclusive Innovation, A Radical Commitment to Equity⁠

, by Digital Promise

Recognise that you have to ask the right questions to get the right answers. Sometimes users don’t know what they need, but they do know what their problems are. As product creators we need to tread a fine line between architecting solutions and being the visionaries, but leveraging disparate insights to do so.

Think at the system level

Product creators must go beyond solely focusing on the user and consider the entire system to develop truly inclusive products. While user-centric design is critical, understanding the broader ecosystem in which a product operates is equally important.

Inclusivity transcends individual user experiences and extends to encompass the diverse contexts, needs, and abilities of all potential users. By considering the system as a whole, product creators can identify and address systemic barriers, promote accessibility, and ensure that their innovations cater to a wider range of users.

This approach not only enhances user satisfaction but also leads to greater market reach and compliance with ethical and legal standards, making it a pivotal aspect of responsible product development in today's diverse and interconnected world.

Acknowledge gaps

It is important to assess and recognise the gaps you have so that you can involve others to fill these. This requires a growth mindset, a sense of humility and valuing diversity. You can then proactively look to gain different perspectives, internally and externally to develop a deeper understanding of diverse user needs and required solutions.

Remember people with lived experience are the experts in their experiences. It is important to value lived experience alongside professional expertise.

Resources

The Inclusive Design toolkit from the University of Cambridge includes a number of useful tools and case studies. The focus is however, primarily on disability and accessibility.

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https://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com⁠

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Beyond Accessibility

Intentional inclusion

The curb effect

Design for extremes

Universal design is not enough

Personalisation

Diversity by design

Participatory design

Think at the system level

Acknowledge gaps

Resources

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