Universal, Inclusive, And Equity-focused Design
Universal Design
Imagine living in a society where everyone has access to the goods and services they require, regardless of their abilities or limitations. This is the goal of universal design, a design philosophy that aims to create environments and products that are usable by everyone.
“Universal design is not about creating products for everyone. It’s about creating products that can be used by everyone.” — Ron Mace
Universal design concepts are used in user experience (UX) design to develop products and services that are simple to use for anyone, regardless of their age, ability, or background.
It’s like when you go to a store that sells shoes in just one size. The label might read, One size fits all, but the shoe still won’t fit a lot of people. Universal design had the same problem.
When designers try to create a one-size-fits-all solution, it can be difficult to meet the needs of all users effectively. This is especially true for people with disabilities or other unique needs. As UX designers realized that universal design didn’t meet the needs of every user, the approach to including people began to change.
Inclusive design
“Inclusive design is not just about disability; it’s about understanding and respecting the diversity of human experience.” — Brannon Andersen
Inclusive design implies taking into account factors such as ability, race, economic background, language, age, and gender when designing.
In order for them to contribute their distinct perspectives throughout all stages of the design process, inclusive design involves researchers and designers from underrepresented groups in the process.
If universal design is a one-size-fits-all solution, then inclusive design can be described as solving for one, extending to many solutions. When you leverage inclusive design, you address the needs of one type of user while ensuring that many more types of users benefit further from your solution.
Inclusive design focuses on the needs of people with disabilities, such as blind and deaf individuals, and extends to other excluded groups, like those with physical or cognitive disabilities. However, this approach only benefits the original group and existing users, leaving many groups excluded. Today, equity-focused design is a new industry goal.
Equity-focused Design
Equity-focused design is different from universal design and inclusive design. Universal design is about designing for everyone, while inclusive design is about designing for a range of users. Equity-focused design goes a step further by focusing on designing for specific groups of people who have been historically marginalized or excluded.
“Equity-focused design is the future of design. It’s the only way to create products that truly serve everyone and make a positive impact on the world.” — Dr. Christopher Goodwin
Equity-focused design is a newer concept in UX that aims to uplift historically excluded groups by designing products that meet their needs. Equity-focused design focuses on providing different levels of opportunity and support for each person to achieve fair outcomes. To implement equity-focused design, designers must identify a product they want to build, consider the groups not served by it in the past, and prioritize the underrepresented groups. While equity-focused design doesn’t solve all problems, it is a crucial approach to solving issues of underrepresentation and designing for a more equitable future.
Designers should understand the basics of accessibility and the importance of creating products for underrepresented and excluded groups.
Conclusion
Universal design, inclusive design, and equity-focused design are three important approaches to designing products and services that are accessible and usable to everyone. While each approach has its own limitations, all three approaches are important for creating a more inclusive and equitable world.
By understanding the limitations of universal design and the benefits of inclusive design and equity-focused design, UX designers can create products and services that are accessible and usable to everyone.
