Inclusive Design and Sharing Knowledge

I recently went to a Design Driven Meetup in New York City and listened to several speakers from different companies present on topics they found important. The one presentation that stood out to me most was by two designers at &Partners. They spoke about the importance of inclusive design and how it should be the first thing that we think about when designing a product.

Soon after that, I listened to the Shaheena Attarwala episode of the User Defenders podcast. Among all of the inspiring things that she says (I recommend you go listen to that episode), she talks about the need to educate others. She uses the example of teaching her mother about the solar system and breaking it down for her and explaining it in a way that helps her to understand it best. What struck me most was what she said about how educating others and sharing knowledge will make us more equal as humans.

I’m grateful to have been at Design Driven that night and for those two designers who shared their knowledge with me.

Now, here I am, passing what I learned along to you. The presentation on inclusive design discussed the importance of diversity and accessibility.

In terms of diversity, we as designers should be thinking about including the voices of many different people within our research. We shouldn’t assume that there are only one or two types of users. Design is not “one size fits all” and including all voices will make for a more inclusive product in the end. We should be talking to people with different experiences, behaviors, genders, disabilities, ethnicities, etc.

When addressing accessibility, we should be thinking about the needs of all potential users, should they be disabled, or just in a situation where they maybe don’t have the ability to give the website or app they are using their full attention. That might mean checking color contrast, font size, and clickable areas to make sure that everyone can have a wonderful user experience.

The biggest takeaway for me was that designing for marginalized people often makes for a better product overall and will likely lead to a greater experience for everyone. So, take this information with you to your next company, your next product, or project, and educate. Share it with a diverse group of people and continue to spread your knowledge.