Inclusive Design - Design for Our Future Selves

Study Notes: Design for Our Future Selves

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

1. Summarize key inclusive design principles.
2. Discuss ways to make a business case for inclusion.
3. Explain four ways leaders can support inclusion practices.

Inclusive Design Principles

1. Center on:

   • Inclusive design adapts to fit each unique person.
   • It’s “one size fits one.”

2. Interrupt:

   • Identify and disrupt habits that perpetuate exclusion.

3. Ask:

   • Whose voice or contribution is missing in the design process?

4. Seek out:

   • Consult with exclusion experts to gain insights for approaching design.

5. Remember:

   • Inclusive design is a challenging, ongoing process and is not perfect.

The Practice of Inclusive Design

• Regular Practice:
  • Like any skill, inclusive design requires regular, intentional practice.
  • Internalizing these skills is key to shifting towards inclusive design.

A Brick Is Not a Brick

• Rethinking Existing Resources:
  • Think of a brick beyond its typical use (building material). It can be used in various ways, e.g., a weight, doorstop, or ground into sand.
  • Changing the context or purpose of an object can reveal new inclusive uses.
  • Assess existing products for new, inclusive applications.

Curb Cut Effect

• Principle: Solve for One, Extend to Many
  • The curb-cut was initially designed for wheelchair users but benefits many others (e.g., parents with strollers, travelers with luggage).
  • Solutions designed for specific communities can have broader benefits.

Retrofitting Is Expensive

• Proactive Inclusion:
  • Examples of inclusive solutions:
    • Email (designed for hearing-impaired communication).
    • Typewriters/keyboards (designed for visual impairment).
    • Flexible straws (designed for ease of use).
  • Inclusive design from the start leads to better products and stronger customer engagement.
  • Retrofitting inclusion is costlier and riskier than integrating it from the beginning.

Making a Business Case for Inclusion

• Innovation and Differentiation:
  • Inclusive design leads to innovative products and differentiation in the market.
  • Customer engagement and base expansion are key benefits.
• Cost of Retrofitting:
  • Retrofitting increases costs and risks.
  • Legal ramifications and public backlash can result from non-inclusive designs.
  • Emphasize that proactive inclusion prevents these issues.

How Leadership Can Support Inclusion

1. Make Promises You Can Keep:

   • Be realistic about the current state of inclusion and address access issues.

2. Set Long-term Expectations:

   • Understand that breaking exclusion habits takes time.
   • Inclusive design is an ongoing process.

3. Reward Inclusion:

   • Prioritize and reward inclusive habits and decision-making from the start.

4. Involve Everyone:

   • Create opportunities for everyone to participate in the process.
   • Strengthen relationships, uplift excluded communities, and foster a shared sense of belonging.

Everyday Examples of Inclusive Design

• Inclusive design results in products that might not be relevant now but could be essential in the future (e.g., reading glasses, magnified text on cell phones).
• Designing inclusively today serves excluded communities and anticipates the needs of future users.

By understanding and applying these principles, businesses can create products that are accessible, innovative, and beneficial to a wide range of users, both now and in the future.