Definitions of inclusive design

The British Standards Institute (2005)British Standard 7000-6:2005. Design management systems - Managing inclusive design - Guide defines inclusive design as "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 specialised design."

By meeting the needs of those who are excluded from product use, inclusive design improves product experience across a broad range of users. Put simply inclusive design is better 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

Inclusive design should be embedded within the design and development process, resulting in better designed mainstream products that are desirable to own and satisfying to use.

Graph showing that although a relatively small number of people are excluded, far more have difficulty or are frustrated with technological products.

Philips (2004)[Philips (2004) The Philips Index: Calibrating the Convergence of Healthcare, Lifestyle and Technology. A web-based survey of 1500 internet users aged 18-75, www.usa.philips.com] found that about two thirds of the population as a whole have difficulties with technological products

This photo shows someone struggling to open a welded plastic toothbrush packet by hand and then resorting to the use of a bandsaw.

Attempting to open this plastic welded packaging proved to be impossible by hand, so this user tried more drastic measures