Inclusive Design

Universal Design Principles and Practices

November 2012 Agenda

• Universal Design and Inclusive Design • Design Concept • Design Process • Need Finding • Design Guidelines and Evaluation Criterias • Universal Design Principles- 7 Principles • Elaboration of 7 Principles • UD vs Assistive Technology

Universal Design

• is a term coined by architect Ron Mace • is about ensuring that environments, products, services and interfaces work for people of all ages and abilities • is a general approach to designing in which designers ensure that their products and services address the needs of the widest possible audience, irrespective of age or ability • Aims to produce accessible, usable and desirable products for the whole population

Inclusive Design

By The British Standards Institute (2005) British Standard 7000-6:2005. Design management systems - Managing inclusive design - Guide "The design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people as reasonably possible ... without the need for special adaptation or specialized design.“ Inclusive design is not: • Simply a stage that can be added in the design process • Adequately covered by a requirement that the product should be easy to use • Solely about designing products for a particular capability loss • Naively implying that it is always possible (or appropriate) to design one product to address the needs of the entire population

Why Universal Design? • There are already 130 million people over 50 in the European Union • By 2020, one in every two European adults will be over that age • The effects of rapidly ageing populations, and growing numbers of people with disabilities, are having a profound effect on new product and service development • The need for a more socially inclusive approach to designing is rising up the business agenda • Design development which includes the needs of marginalized groups of people is regarded as not just socially desirable but a commercial opportunity

Some Concepts

• Design exclusion • Design for all (Universal Design) • Barrier free design • A change of attitude Design Exclusion • Some designs exclude people, many times unnecessary • To design inclusively, it is important to consider the worst case conditions • Older and disabled people suffer • So do economically vulnerable groups • Groups affected by changing technologies and work practices • Number of people adversely affected by decisions made during the specification and design process Universal Design

• Strives to integrate all people, including those with disabilities, the elderly and children into our society • The growing movement to integrate disabled people into mainstream society • Changes required to accommodate the disabled actually benefit the whole population • Can be achieved relatively inexpensively with a little forethought

Barrier-free Design

• Use design features to overcome barriers of different kinds • Developed during the Civil Rights and Disability Rights Movements by those trying to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities. • Barrier-free design now influence policies, design practices and law through the standardization of codes for access to the built environment, but workplace injuries continue to increase. A Change of Attitudes

• Future consumer markets will be more diverse than ever in terms of age and physical ability. • In the past, design education looked at special needs design for needs group. Now the focus is on better mainstream solutions for everyone Universal Design Process

Mustaquim (2012) Universal Design Framework Mustaquim (2012)

Steps in Design Process

Discover: The systematic exploration of the perceived need to ensure the right design challenge is addressed, with due consideration of all stakeholders; leading to the first output, an understanding of the real need Translate: The conversion of this understanding into a categorized, complete and well defined description of the design intent; leading to the second output, a requirements specification Create: The creation of preliminary concepts that are evaluated against the requirements; leading to the third output, concepts. Develop: The detailed design of the final product or service, ready to be manufactured or implemented; leading to the final output, solutions.

Need Finding

A design challenge can arise from a variety of different contexts, such as: • A newly identified market opportunity • The availability of a new technology • A requirement to update or repackage an existing product or service The subsequent discover stage of the product development process encourages exploration of the real needs of all of the relevant stakeholders, leading to an understanding of the true underlying challenge without any implicit prejudice to a particular solution. This is important as it is often assumed that the perceived need accurately represents the true problem. However, experience shows this is not always the case, it being easy to provide a solution to meet the wrong need. A thorough exploration of the design context will ultimately lead to the identification of the real need.

Design Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria (Lane, Usiak, & Moffatt, 1996; Lane, Usiak, Stone, & Scherer, 1997).

• effectiveness, • affordability, • reliability, • portability, • durability, • securability, • physical security/safety, • learnability, • physical comfort/acceptance, • ease of maintenance/repairability, and • operability. Universal Design Principles

• PRINCIPLE ONE: Equitable Use The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities . • PRINCIPLE TWO: Flexibility in Use The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. • PRINCIPLE THREE: Simple and Intuitive Use Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user 's experience, knowledge, language ,skills, or current concentration level. • PRINCIPLE FOUR: Perceptible Information The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user , regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities. • PRINCIPLE FIVE: Tolerance for Error The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions. • PRINCIPLE SIX: Low Physical Effort The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue . • PRINCIPLE SEVEN: Size and Space for Approach and Use Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach , manipulation, and use regardless of the user 's body size, posture, or mobility. Equitable Use • Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible, equivalent when not. • Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users. • Make provisions for privacy, security, and safety equally available to all users. • Make the design appealing to all users. Flexibility in Use • Provide choice in methods of use. • Accommodate right- or left-handed access and use. • Facilitate the user's accuracy and precision. • Provide adaptability to the user's pace. Simple and Intuitive Use • Eliminate unnecessary complexity. • Be consistent with user expectations and intuition. • Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills. • Arrange information consistent with its importance. • Provide effective prompting and Perceptible Information • Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information. • Maximize legibility of essential information. • Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easy to give instructions or directions). • Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations. Tolerance of Error • Arrange elements to minimize hazards and errors: most used elements, most accessible; hazardous elements eliminated, isolated, or shielded. • Provide warnings of hazards and errors. • Provide fail-safe features. • Discourage unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance. Low Physical Effort • Allow user to maintain a neutral body position. • Use reasonable operating forces. • Minimize repetitive actions. • Minimize sustained physical effort. Size and Space for Approach and Use

• Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user. • Make reach to all components comfortable for any seated or standing user. • Accommodate variations in hand and grip size. • Provide adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personal assistance. Advantages of UD: Over Assistive Technology • reduced cost of a device due to greater economies of scale realized by mass production; • greater availability of usable design s that were produced in quantity and marketed through a variety of common channels; • longevity of a device that continues to serve people even as their abilities change; • better reliability of devices that were mass produced; • easier reparability of common devices; • inclusion of a person with a disability in using the same tools as everyone else in the family for everyday activities; and • lack of stigma associated with devices that are used by everyone. Future of Universal Design

• What Companies need to do? – Statistical Justification – Performance Measures (to maximize usability) – Proper guidance to market products • Two Trends- – Globalization of marketplace – Aging of population

Reflection • Which design will thrive? – Design that reflects that users are more important or – Design that focuses art

• ‘Advertizing a product as being useful only for old people or those with disabilities’- Can this be kiss of death for a company?