🖥️Design and Interactive Experiences Unit 6 – Inclusive Design for All Users

What's Inclusive Design?

• Inclusive design creates products, services, and environments usable by the widest range of people possible
• Considers the full range of human diversity including ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference
• Aims to remove barriers and enable everyone to participate equally, confidently and independently in everyday activities
• Recognizes that people's abilities and needs are diverse and can change throughout their lives
• Inclusive design is not a separate activity but an integral part of the design process from beginning to end
• Focuses on user diversity as a fundamental starting point rather than an afterthought or add-on
• Involves diverse users throughout the design process to better understand their needs and experiences

Why It Matters

• Inclusive design benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities, by making products and services more usable and accessible
• Expands the potential user base and market for products and services by making them appealing and usable to more people
• Helps organizations comply with accessibility laws and regulations and avoid potential legal issues
• Demonstrates social responsibility and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion which can enhance brand reputation
• Drives innovation by considering diverse perspectives and needs which can lead to new insights and solutions
• Inclusive design can improve user satisfaction, loyalty, and retention by providing a better user experience for all
• Contributes to creating a more inclusive and equitable society where everyone can participate fully regardless of their abilities or circumstances

Key Principles

• Provide a comparable experience for all users and avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users
• Offer choice in methods of use and accommodate right or left-handed access and use
• Provide flexibility in use to accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities
• Design should be easy to understand regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level
  • Use clear and simple language, provide effective prompting and feedback during and after task completion
• Communicate necessary information effectively to the user regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities
  • Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information
• Minimize hazards and adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions
  • Provide warnings of hazards and errors, fail-safe features, and discourage unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance
• Design can be used efficiently, comfortably, and with minimum fatigue by users with a wide range of body sizes, postures, or mobility

User Diversity

• Users have a wide range of physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities that can impact their interaction with products and services
  • Visual abilities (blindness, low vision, color blindness)
  • Auditory abilities (deafness, hard of hearing)
  • Mobility and dexterity (limited hand function, use of assistive devices)
  • Cognitive and learning disabilities (dyslexia, autism, intellectual disabilities)
• User diversity also includes differences in age, gender, culture, language, and socioeconomic status
• People's abilities can change over time due to aging, injury, or temporary conditions (broken arm, holding a baby)
• Inclusive design considers the full spectrum of human diversity and how it intersects with different contexts of use
• Designing for user diversity involves understanding the needs, preferences, and challenges of different user groups
• Engaging diverse users throughout the design process helps ensure their needs are met and potential barriers are identified and addressed early on

Accessibility Guidelines

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a set of technical standards for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities
  • WCAG 2.1 has 13 guidelines organized under 4 principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities
• EN 301 549 is the European standard for accessibility requirements for ICT products and services
• Mobile accessibility guidelines (BBC Mobile Accessibility Guidelines, Android, iOS) provide best practices for designing accessible mobile apps
• Accessibility guidelines help ensure that digital products and services are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for users with disabilities
• Following accessibility guidelines is a key aspect of inclusive design but not the only consideration

Design Techniques

• Provide text alternatives for non-text content (images, videos, audio) so it can be changed into other forms like large print, braille, speech, or simpler language
• Create content that can be presented in different ways without losing information or structure (responsive design, proper heading structure)
• Make all functionality available from a keyboard for users who cannot use a mouse or touchscreen
• Provide users enough time to read and use content, avoid time limits or allow users to extend them
• Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures or physical reactions (flashing lights)
• Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are (clear headings, breadcrumbs, site maps)
• Make text content readable and understandable by using clear language, explaining unusual words, and providing pronunciation for difficult words
• Ensure that web pages appear and operate in predictable ways by using consistent navigation and labeling

Common Challenges

• Lack of awareness or understanding of the importance and benefits of inclusive design among stakeholders
• Limited budget, time, or resources allocated for inclusive design activities like user research, testing, and iterative design
• Difficulty recruiting diverse users, especially those with disabilities, for research and testing
• Balancing the needs and preferences of different user groups which may sometimes conflict
• Designing for edge cases or extreme users while still making the product usable and appealing for the majority of users
• Overcoming biases and assumptions about what users need or want based on their abilities or characteristics
• Keeping up with evolving accessibility guidelines and standards across different platforms and devices
• Convincing clients or management of the business case for inclusive design and getting buy-in for the additional time and effort required

Real-World Examples

• Apple's VoiceOver screen reader enables blind and low-vision users to navigate and interact with iOS devices (iPhone, iPad)
• Microsoft's Xbox Adaptive Controller allows gamers with limited mobility to customize their gaming setup and use alternative input devices
• Google Maps provides wheelchair accessibility information for transit stations and routes in select cities
• Barclays' high-contrast debit cards with tactile notches help customers with visual impairments identify their cards and use ATMs more easily
• Oxo Good Grips kitchen tools are designed to be comfortable and easy to use for people with arthritis or limited hand strength
• Lego Braille Bricks help blind and visually impaired children learn to read and write braille while playing with Lego
• Airbnb's user research and testing with older adults led to interface changes that improved usability for all users (larger font sizes, simpler navigation)