How design, diversity and inclusion are connected
Diversity and inclusion are mindsets and approaches. We discuss ways of designing for both.
Designers think about diversity and inclusion a lot. People are at the core of what they do. So, they find and acknowledge unique user needs and craft effective solutions for a variety of people.
It may be cause or effect, but there is, therefore, no sole definition or common application of diversity and inclusion in design. There is certainly no guiding framework. Individuals bring their own individual perspective, usually shaped by their own experiences. Sometimes this is great! Sometimes, not so much. Opinion is a close friend of bias.
So, can this collection of differing ideas come together to create a consensus that means we can produce more diverse and inclusive products?
Everyone is pretty accustomed to the concept of both diversity and inclusivity. It brings people with different experiences and abilities, from different backgrounds into consideration during the design process. The task is to create a universal and relevant product.
The Tarot Cards of Tech from Artefact
These inspire designers to consider the outcomes that technology can create. From unexpected or unplanned consequences to opportunities for positive, impactful change. It’s a way of getting you to think ahead of time about how to make your product the very best it can be.
For example, the card called The Forgotten encourages creatives to review the perspectives they have considered and assess who might be missing.
These clever prompts force designers to address ideas and implications of their products that they may not have thought about. They ask, more deeply, who may be ostracised as a result of relying purely on their own experiences to inform their product design.
Going beyond our simple and broad understanding of diversity and inclusion, we can seek a diverse collection of experiences, ideas and perspectives, accumulating into a product with maximum impact.
“…Inclusion means many different things to many different people. When we think about design, we often think about the process and how we get there, but inclusion is something that is more often associated in the business environment with workplace hiring practices and the way that we build teams. I find that there really is a new way of thinking or a new way of applying an approach to how we make objects and solutions.”
Kat Holmes, Author
“When we design for disability first, you often stumble upon solutions that are better than those when we design for the norm.”
Elise Roy, Lawyer, artist, human rights advocate
The Business Case
Business owners, designers and developers alike want people to enjoy their products. To sustain longevity in the market for your products, you must constantly adapt. Grab the attention of new buyers when they come to your market. Diversity and inclusion, are therefore really central for success.
Creating a Community
Diversity and inclusion within design connect and empower user groups and as such, society as a whole. Social media has taught us this by facilitating the building of communities. Designers have the responsibility to ensure their products don’t segregate. The solution to avoid this is to listen to alternative or even opposing experiences and viewpoints that may be alien to our own. Without bringing these to the light, we risk polarising, or even marginalising the very users we are trying to serve. Diversity and inclusivity, therefore, can only stand to facilitate a better understanding of differing user groups, which ultimately creates a better experience on the whole, for all.
“The designer does not, as a rule, begin with some preconceived idea. Rather, the idea is (or should be) the result of careful study and observation, and the design a product of that idea.”
Paul Rand
Diversity is not a checkbox exercise
Diversity and inclusion aren’t boxes that can be ticked during the design process. They are applications. They are mindsets. They are evolving. They encourage us to see a spectrum of perspectives, and we reflect these in our testing, design and build of our products. We bring forward those things we could not previously see on the horizon, and we find a solution that fits.
Designers cannot forget The Forgotten.
