Inclusive Design is an approach to product development that considers the diverse needs of all people rather than just the general population.
Companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook have embraced inclusive design principles to build inclusive products accessible to those with disabilities and widely enjoyed by people of all abilities and ages.
Understanding these concepts can help you better communicate your ideas with developers and designers and ensure you’re getting the best out of your product or service development process.
What is Inclusive Design (I.D.)?
As defined by the Social Accessibility Resources (SAR), inclusive Design is The process of designing, redesigning, or retrofitting products, environments, systems, services, and communications for people with disabilities.
Though still a new term in mainstream society, inclusive Design has been practiced since long before it was named. As far back as 1790 B.C., Egyptians were intentionally creating rooms of different sizes so that everyone would have access to every space in their homes.
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How does Inclusive Design relate to User Experience (UX)?
If you’re interested in UX, inclusive Design should be high on your list of things to learn about. I.D. and UX professionals tend to overlap in their work — both groups are concerned with end-user (aka user) experience. However, UX designers focus more on a holistic approach; they need an understanding of user psychology and behavior that helps them create a better user interface (U.I.). I.D. focuses on how diverse communities use products differently from mainstream users.
Why should I care about Inclusive Design?
When you’re designing a new product or feature, inclusive Design is a powerful lens through which to look at your target audience. By thinking about inclusivity from a product standpoint, rather than simply treating it as an afterthought, you can make significant improvements that will better serve all users.
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Accessibility and Inclusive Design
While accessibility is just one outcome of inclusive Design, it’s essential. Accessibility advocates for those with disabilities, making products and services more usable for them. An inclusive design goal is to create a product or service that anyone can use, including people with disabilities. For example, someone who needs text-to-speech software to use a computer effectively might not use one without such features.
Fluidness is important
When designing for a broad range of abilities, everything must respond well and appropriately to every input from users. The elements must also be accessible so that everyone can access them no matter their ability level. This way, users can accomplish what they want quickly.
Inclusive Design is process-based
Designers need to remember that inclusive Design isn’t just about delivering products and services with an eye toward universal usability; it’s also about designing processes, organizations, and cultures from an accessible lens.
Achieving genuine inclusivity is a systematic change that should build into every aspect of product development — that means creating a checklist at every step of each process and ensuring accessibility stays on top of mind at all times.
Conclusion
Every designer needs to think about Inclusive Design as a crucial part of their design process. While it’s easy to assume that your audience will be able to navigate through a particular layout or interaction, you need not forget that it is your job as a designer to ensure that all users feel like they can enjoy what you’ve made.
