Inclusive and universal design have a vital impact on how we live, work, shop, and interact with the world. The goal of inclusive design is to give people with different characteristics different ways to use our design solutions, so they can participate in the experience. Architect Ronald L. Mace first used the term "universal design" in 1985. He described it as the process of creating environments and products that are necessary for some people but beneficial to everyone else without requiring special aids or adaptations.

This is no longer about creating accessibility for disabled people; it is an integrated way of thinking about design. It is about conceiving the design of a particular environment, service, or product in a way that caters to everybody, regardless of age, ability, gender, culture, or economic status. The paradigmatic shift works on the knowledge that inclusion is beneficial to all users, and not only marginalized communities. Additionally, designing for diversity leads to better solutions and more innovative products. 

Both inclusive and universal design operates on foundational principles. The seven essential principles include the following: equity in use so that everyone, regardless of ability, is able to interact with the product or space; ability to be flexible in order to accommodate recognition of different preferences and abilities; simplicity and intuitiveness of design so that interfaces can be easily understood irrespective of a user’s previous experiences, literacy level, or concentration; information perceptible in all the various sensory channels—visual, auditory, or tactile; tolerance for error and reduced risks of unintentional or accidental actions; lessen physical effort required, allowing all interactions to be enjoyable; size and space provided for approach, manipulation, and use appropriate for a variety of body types, postures, and mobility aids. When employed in the areas of buildings, products, or technologies, such principles assure an inclusive approach, in addition to making things safer, easier to use, and more intuitive for all.

Technology as an Inclusion Catalyst — and as an Obstacle

Unquestionably, technological development creates new avenues for promoting inclusion. For example, the See Colours app by Samsung allows people with color vision deficiency to customize their TV screens, and enables those with mobility impairments to control their surrounding environment hands-free through voice command. At the same time, new technologies constantly expose us to new issues and even risks. For instance, AI systems trained on narrow data sets may not recognize the needs of people belonging to various races, gender minorities, or the disabled. Often those applications lack easy online access and would thus shut out millions of potential users. There is a growing demand for experts to reconsider the design processes themselves. 

Where do we meet inclusive designs?

Inclusive design is exemplified through retail and consumer experiences. There is a need to ensure that stores provide accessible experiences, as retail experiences become more experiential, wherein stores turn into interactive, immersive environments. Brands such as Estée Lauder use real-time audio feedback in their voice-enabled makeup assistant to help people with low vision apply makeup with confidence. Relatedly, the packaged design of Rare Beauty which aims to cater to people with limited hand strength. Not limited to products and retail, principles of universal design have begun influencing urban planning. Cities around the globe are incorporating pedestrian-friendly streets, accessible public transport, parks and other public spaces designed for players of all ages and abilities. Smart technology plays an increasingly important role through portable navigation apps, QR codes with audio guides, and real-time augmented-reality navigation tools that help give a lot of freedom to disabled people. Systems of public transport are being fitted up with low-floor buses, tactile paving, and audible announcements towards achieving the fullest audience it can accommodate. Inclusion in urban design is not solely about legal compliance - it helps to create lively, engaged communities within which everybody belongs.

From Compliance to Competitive Advantage

For far too long, many businesses viewed accessibility and inclusive design as mere compliance checkboxes - a legal obligation, rather than a strategic opportunity. This is changing today. Inclusive design is increasingly recognized as a veritable driver for innovation and differentiation. Such products, spaces, and services work well not only for marginalized groups but for everyone. This makes them more supple and adaptive towards changing customer conditions, thereby future-proofing businesses against a widening horizon. 

Certainly, with over a billion people with disabilities in the world, and many millions more temporarily or situationally impaired, inclusivity cannot be a niche anymore, but is rather a mainstream, left-hand market opportunity. The economic value for such inclusivity market opportunities is considerable. The future of inclusive design needs not to be just stuck onto a project—not something that you could solve later: it's something that must be woven into the DNA of every design process, be it for a website, product, building, or whatever type of public policy might exist. This entails: 

• Employee representation from marginal communities into co-creation processes

• Designers and technologists trained to acknowledge and counteract their biases

• Fitting measurable inclusion objectives into the project timeline

• Development of design systems which bring inclusion up with it across the product ecosystem 

Cultural inclusion should be normalized in the corporate culture, such that it becomes the mode of operations and not an exception. As designers, architects, technologists and business leaders, we have both an ethical obligation and, yes, an unprecedented opportunity. Designing for all is not just a moral imperative.