Honest question for creatives and developers: How often do you consider inclusive design in your work? If it’s not often, do you know exactly what inclusive design includes? It just might have more use cases than you’d expect.
Wait, but first… are “accessible” and “inclusive” the same thing?
Accessibility is an important issue for web designers, especially with new federal legislation this year requiring all state and municipal websites and mobile applications to be ADA compliant by 2027. But is it the same as being inclusive?
Nope. Accessible design is just one element of inclusive design. Accessibility ensures that users can use your website, regardless of any physical, situational, cognitive, or socioeconomic restrictions. In the same way that ADA law sets standards in our physical world, accessibility laws help us navigate the digital world.
Inclusive design includes accessibility… and a lot more. Think of the term “inclusive design” as just that – all-inclusive of every user’s needs. And it’s not designing one thing that works for everyone. It’s about creating an environment where everyone can access content in a way that works for them.
Inclusive Design Brings People Together
Chances are there’s something about you that could be considered “different.” This could be something temporary, permanent or situational. Both short and long-term conditions can cause exclusion. Exclusion affects the way people relate to each other. As we are all different, and often have transitory needs, these differences are not viewed as weaknesses or faults, but incompatibilities with our environment. Inclusive design seeks to harmonize the environment so that no one is excluded.
“Normal” is not a thing
With over 8 billion human beings on the planet, who’s to say what’s normal and what isn’t? When approaching design with an inclusive mindset, throw out your notion of “normal.” Even the word normal has a connotation that those who aren’t, are abnormal. This is the opposite of an inclusive mindset. By adopting an open-minded attitude that every single user is different, you’ll stop designing with a one-size-fits-all approach that won’t deliver what your users need.
Don’t think you have an implicit bias about who is normal and abnormal, good and bad? Try out one of Harvard’s “Project Implicit” tests.
Stay curious
When designing for inclusivity, don’t assume you know what’s needed. Whenever you can, speak to users who might be the ones using the features you’re implementing. Let them test your site and provide feedback. Not only does technology change, but the way people use it does, too. Just because something worked a year ago doesn’t mean it still works today.
Practice Representation
Brands generally understand the value and responsibility of featuring more diverse subjects in their advertising. 82% of respondents to a recent survey by the World Advertising and Research Center said DEI is important to their marketing strategies, and 33% said it will significantly affect their marketing plans. According to a survey conducted by the Association of National Advertisers, 97% of advertisers recognize enhanced brand perception through inclusive campaigns, and 55% engage in LGBTQ+-inclusive marketing. Reflecting your brand’s users in your campaigns and you’ll boosted brand affinity will follow.
Be Flexible
Add features to your site that allow users to accomplish tasks in different ways, such as making charts expandable, adding transcripts below videos, and including audio versions of articles. Think of it like an automatic door button at the front of a commercial building. Most people won’t even notice it’s there, but for those who use a wheelchair—or someone carrying a heavy load—it’s a necessary tool.
Think Broadly
Designers might suggest adding closed captions to a video for the benefit of people with hearing impairments, but those aren’t the only users who will benefit. Think of the viewer in a crowded doctor’s office who forgot their headphones. Or the viewer learning a new language and using captions to help them understand. Or users with ADHD who use captions to help them concentrate.
When designing a page, tool, app or other digital asset, think to yourself whether you’re designing for a wide enough audience. Are you relying too much on visual data, text, audio or video to get a point across? Ensure your site has a mix of media options for different types of web users.
Hire Diverse Staff
Design doesn’t create itself. If you’ve hired a homogenous staff, you’re probably missing out on a much richer concepting that only diversity can deliver. Studies show that diverse teams perform better, particularly when it starts with diverse leadership. Whether you’re solving problems or creating a new product, the more diverse your team, the greater your capability to see opportunities from every angle. Teams that lack gender, race, disability, cultural, and other representation will contribute a more restricted set of viewpoints.
