Inclusive Design, a Perfect Solution? Exploring possible challenges with inclusive design Stine Bechmann Department of Product Design Norwegian University of Science and Technology ABSTRACT The Norwegian Design Council is promoting inclusive design as the solution to all our societies upcoming challenges with an increasing number of old people. The last couple of years, inclusive design has been written into legislations both in Norway and Europe. In this article, possible challenges with inclusive design have been explored by looking into the debate about inclusive design in small apartments and new technology, like ticket systems. The two cases have shown that interpretation and implementation have a great impact on the success factor of inclusive design. KEYWORDS: Inclusive design, universal design, Norwegian Design Council, TEK 10, ticket systems, individual differences 1. INTRODUCTION provided by the NDC, is solely dedicated to Inclusive design, universal design and design for endorse inclusive design. Examples of success all are terms used to describe an approach of stories, a mythbuster and a quote library for developing products, services and environments, inclusive design are just some of the features which are usable and attractive for a large displayed at the site (Norwegian Design Counsil, number of people regardless of age, gender, c.2013a). On top of this, the NDC gives away an language and ability. The Norwegian Design Innovation Award for Universal Design, on behalf Council1 (NDC) has the last couple of years of the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality invested a lot of resources into promoting and Social Inclusion. The award goes to inclusive design to Norwegian business leaders, companies, institutions, architects and designers managers, marketers and designers. In 2005 a who have successfully implemented the inclusive programme called Innovation for All, was design method, and developed innovative established to demonstrate the potential of an solutions for the benefit of everyone. (Norwegian inclusive design approach (Norwegian Design Design Council, 2011) Council, 2013). Five years later, in 2010, the NDC published Innovating with people – The business The programme, the book, the web guide and of Inclusive Design, a book meant as a handbook the award, presents inclusive design as a picture- in how inclusive design can be used as a strategy perfect solution. The topic is given significantly for better business. The site inclusivedesign.no, more attention than other design approaches like for example sustainable design. At the same time 1 “The Norwegian Design Council is a national strategic body there seems to be no room to discuss the flaws for design in Norway mainly founded by the Ministry of with inclusive design, if there is any. If it is true Trade and Industry“ (Eikhaug, 2010, p.96) Inclusive Design, a Perfect Solution? 1 what the NDC promotes that “Inclusive design is this article will also regard the two terms as a low-cost, high-return way to generate new equal. ideas” (Eikhaug, 2010, p.8), why does not every company use it? The current presentation of 2.1 History inclusive design simply sounds too good to be true. The NDC is not the only one praising The many wounded veterans from the two World inclusive design. The Internet is filled with Wars made disabilities visible in the society. propaganda, toolkits and articles suggesting Later, the young veteran soldiers from the inclusive design as the answer to the increasing Vietnam War protested on the second-class number of older people. treatment they where receiving as disabled citizens. By claiming equal rights for all, The Black This article will explore possible challenges with Civil Rights movement started the fight for inclusive design. Some questions to be asked are: disability rights, even though their main focus - Why do companies hesitate to adopt were to stop racial discrimination. With the inclusive design? American Civil Rights Act signed in 1964, a - Can inclusive design be excluding? blueprint for future laws was created (Vavik & - Is inclusive design as perfect as the NDC Gheerawo, 2009). would like us to believe? At the same time designers and architects started To discuss these questions, this article will first to consider a wider range of people in their work. look into the debate about inclusive design in The American designer Henry Dreyfuss taught small apartments. Then, the implementation of the world ergonomics and promoted that design new technology in public services, such as ticket should benefit people. The architect Selwyn machines, will be examined in terms of inclusive Goldsmith designed buildings also accessible for design. But first, some background information wheelchair users (Vavik & Gheerawo, 2009). In like the history of the ideology, and a description Europe, the Olympics in Italy 1960 were followed of the inclusive design strategy will be presented. by an international competition for disabled athletes. 1976 was launched as the international 2. BACKGROUND year for disabled people by the United Nations (Vavik & Gheerawo, 2009). This was followed by The three terms inclusive design, universal design a growing awareness around discrimination of and design for all, are today often used people with disabilities. interchangeable. The principal behind them is basically the same, “to promote an approach to The term universal design was first used by the design that understands and respects the needs American architect Ronald L. Mace in 1985. He of a diverse range of users” (Clarkson et al, 2003, was the one formulating universal design as “the p12.) The terms are used in different parts of the design of products and environments to be world as a result of their origin. Even though the usable by all people, to the greatest extent goal is primarily the same, methods have been possible, without the need for adaption or developed with a close connection to specific specialized design.” (Vavik & Gheerawo, 2009, terms. This article will mainly focus on inclusive p.10) The first international conference for design, since this is the term and strategy used universal design was hold in 1992 in Japan. In and promoted by the NDC. The Norwegian 1997 the seven principles of universal design government on the other hand, is using the term were established as: universal design in their action plan and 1. Equitable use regulations. For this reason, universal design has 2. Flexibility in use in many situations and public debates been used 3. Simple and intuitive use as a synonym to inclusive design. In these cases, 4. Perceptible information Inclusive Design, a Perfect Solution? 2 5. Tolerance for error 6. Low physical error 7. Size and space for approach and use. (CUD, c.2008) The Helen Hamlyn Centre, focusing exclusively on inclusive design, was founded in 1999 at the Royal College of Art in London. One year later in 2000, the UK Government defined inclusive design as “products, services and environments that include the needs of the widest number of consumers” (Eikhaug, 2010, p.9). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was agreed upon in 2006. From 2009 Figure 1: User pyramid with bottom-up approach. Norway had an Anti-discrimination and (Eikhaug, 2003 p.25) (Dong et al, 2003 p.115) Accessibility Act, and inclusive design had been written into legislation (Eikhaug, 2010). Inclusive design is a people-centered design approach according to the NDC. They emphasize In the beginning, universal design was closely close connection to lead users as the key to connected to the view that disabled and older success. The inclusive design strategy highlights people required special design solutions. Today engagement in six to twelve lead users instead of the attitude of inclusive design has shifted numerical market research. First hand towards integrating everyone in the mainstream observations and inspirational stories can trigger of everyday life. Vavik & Gheerawo (2009) new ideas and good solutions better than predicted “Universal Design will be one of the statistics. “Lead users are people who make strongest design trends in the 21st century”. greater demands on a product, system, service or environment and therefore challenge it in ways 2.2 The strategy beyond that of average, mainstream users.” (Eikhaug, 2010, p.35). Typical lead users can for The user pyramid (figure 1) displays how the example be older people for testing flexibility and market can be separated into four segments. The functionality for reduced strength, or cultural so-called average consumer can be found in the diverse groups for testing symbolism and context bottom segment with other healthy, able-bodied of use. Choosing the right lead users is essential. customers. In the next, and biggest segment, The lead user should be relevant to the design users with slightly restricted capabilities belong. and its intended purpose. Hence, a lead user in This includes for instance people who need one project can be an average user in another glasses, are left-handed or have dyslexia. People (Eikhaug, 2010). The intention with lead users is can also temporarily belong to this group by for to collect insight that can be exploited in the example be carrying heavy luggage or pregnancy development of mainstream products. The NDC (Eikhaug, 2010). Inclusive design aims to reach warns against designing only for a particular lead these two groups with a bottom-up approach, user, as this may lead to excluding a wider which means making mainstream products also audience. The design process can benefit from accessible for people with disabilities. (Dong et lead users in several stages, inspiring ideas as al, 2003) The top two segments are usually not well as evaluating concepts. viewed as primary markets for inclusive design, due to the large gap between their needs and the The NDC recommends eight activities to be needs of the mainstream user (Eikhaug, 2010). implemented into various stages of a typical Inclusive Design, a Perfect Solution? 3 development process (figure 2).