Inclusive Design Framework
In previous postings, I’ve discussed the importance of an empathetic and user-centered approach to designing student experiences. Through user experience or design thinking frameworks, the user is placed at the center of the design process to ensure alignment of requirements to meet their needs and to facilitate a deeper understanding of the students our designs will serve. While these frameworks focus on the users we are designing for, the Inclusive Design framework enables additional strategies to focus on those historically excluded from the design process. As we know, with cross-functional design teams and user feedback during testing, diverse perspectives provide checks to prevent personal and group biases from influencing design decisions.
As defined by the Inclusive Design Research Center (IDRC), inclusive design “-considers the full range of human diversity concerning ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference.” With inclusive design methods, efforts focus on meeting as many users’ needs as possible, which provides broader benefits to a more significant number of total users.
One such example is the use of closed captioning. While making video and auditory content accessible for the deaf or hard of hearing, the closed captioning feature also allows users to use captioning within situational contexts. When the audibility of video is affected (i.e., in an airport or loud office), captioning can supplement and enhance these specific experiences for anyone engaging with that content.
Through this framework (as the accompanying articles suggest), we can identify opportunities for improving current products and services by identifying exclusion points and using these to redesign and enhance existing experiences to be more inclusive while benefiting broader audiences.
Inspiration & Further Reading
Collier, Amy. (2020, October 26). Inclusive Design and Design Justice: Strategies to Shape Our Classes and Communities. Educause Review.
Joyce, Alita. (2022, January 30). Inclusive Design. Nn Group.
Xiao, Lillian. (2018, June 21). 6 Principles for Inclusive Design. Medium.
