Inclusive Design for different user groups

In my previous blog, we discussed about Inclusive Design and its importance. Today, let’s try to understand Inclusive Design in more detail considering various user groups.

As we now know, Inclusive design is a design to aid the range of human diversity. It could mean having different features to enhance the product but, the end goal of Inclusive design is to deliver the same experience to the all users regardless of their limitations.

There are multiple user groups and people who use various products come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have diverse life experiences. These experiences impact the way they interact with the world and things around them. Therefore, in order to make product experiences easy, diverse user groups need to be studied, understood and empathised with in order to design for them.

• Inclusive design for people with visual impairment would be to have an alternative for visual elements such as auditory or haptic feedback, bright contrasting colours, tactile or braille marks. Adding a tactile marking on the number 5 on a number pad would be a simple addition in the design that would help them identify the functions of the buttons on a TV remote by exploring it themselves, without being dependent on anyone else.
• Inclusive design for people with hearing impairment would be being able to have an alternative for sound in the form of written text or some visual feedback. Example: An alarm clock which vibrates.
• Inclusive design for a person with mobility impairment would be to have alternatives such as a big and textured grip so that it is easy for them to hold and use products. It could also be to have alternatives to access places. Such as ramps or railings in public places or multiple holding points for easy access so that they are able to move around easily with their crutches or wheelchairs.
• Inclusive design for a person on the autism spectrum and for someone with learning difficulties would be to provide more visual elements to aid their understanding and provide them with time to make a decision.

Inclusive design for different user groups is basically to a provide varied users with a choice or an alternative so that things get easy for them to use. People should be able to access and interact with products in their preferred way. The features of the product should be able to enrich the user experience by providing efficient and diverse ways to find and interact with the product.

Also, inclusive design should be as intuitive as possible and should aim to make the person as self independent as possible. This sense of self independence would also enhance their experience and make the user keep going back for the product or service.

Get in touch with the BarrierBreak team if you would like to have a quick chat with our team to know how we can help you design an inclusive product.