Inclusive design has become a popular approach in recent years, promising a world where products, services, and experiences are accessible to everyone. But can we truly design for everyone? Is the notion of inclusive design itself fundamentally flawed, or are there ways to make it genuinely inclusive?
This article aims to explore the core principles of inclusive design, examine how well it truly meets the needs of diverse populations, and provide our opinion on whether the goal of designing for everyone is, in fact, achievable.
What is Inclusive Design?
At its core, inclusive design is about breaking down barriers. It’s an approach that emphasises designing for the most diverse group of people, not just those with disabilities or special needs. In other words, inclusive design considers the diversity of human experience—physical, sensory, cognitive, cultural, and technological differences.
This philosophy comes from the belief that products, services, and experiences should be usable by everyone, regardless of their individual characteristics. It goes beyond merely meeting accessibility standards to focus on flexibility—creating solutions that adapt to the diverse needs of users, from those with permanent disabilities to those experiencing temporary or situational challenges.
Key principles of inclusive design include:
- Equity: Ensuring everyone has access to the same opportunities, whether through adaptive features or universally accessible tools.
- Flexibility: Allowing for a variety of ways to interact with a product or service, accommodating different abilities and preferences.
- Usability: Making things simple and intuitive to use, reducing cognitive load, and considering how users of different abilities and backgrounds will approach a task.
The Challenge of Designing for “Everyone”
One might argue that designing for “everyone” might unintentionally lead to compromises and a diluted focus that diminish the user experience. When we try to make a one size fits all solution, are we sacrificing specific needs and preferences that could serve certain user groups better? It’s important to prioritise your specific audience and their needs first, as this can help you avoid unnecessary compromises.
When you attempt to design for every conceivable user, you will often face compromises that may not work well for everyone. Here are some of those primary challenges:
Aesthetic vs. Usability Trade-Offs
One challenge is balancing aesthetic appeal with usability. For example, high-contrast designs might be great for users with visual impairments, but those same colours could be unappealing to users who don’t need those accommodations. The result? Well-meaning attempts to design inclusively may inadvertently alienate certain user groups in pursuit of universal accessibility.
Cognitive Load vs. Advanced Functionality
Simplifying a website or app interface to accommodate people with cognitive impairments might make it easier for some users, but it could frustrate users who are accustomed to more complex, feature-rich interfaces. This presents a clear dilemma: How do we make digital products simple enough for some users without over-simplifying them for others? How do we maintain the balance between accessibility and advanced functionality?
The Problem with “Standardising” Accessibility
A major issue with inclusive design is the tendency to treat it as a standardised checklist—something that can be “applied” to any design process. While it’s true that accessibility guidelines like the WCAG provide a valuable starting point, they often focus on addressing static requirements rather than the full spectrum of the real-world context of users’ needs. This can lead to the assumption that WCAG compliant sites are ‘inclusive’.
However, impairments to user abilities are not static—they can be situational, permanent, temporary, or context-dependent. Consider how users experience your website differently in various scenarios, such as:
- A person with neurodivergence trying to process complex visual information.
- A user with temporary injuries navigating with one hand.
- An international traveller with language barriers trying to understand product details.
- A commuter trying to engage with a website in a noisy environment.
In this sense, “accessibility” is often treated as a set of static requirements, whereas inclusive design is a context-dependent experience that attempts to address the full spectrum of your user’s needs.
So instead of designing for everyone, the most effective inclusive design approach should involve designing with your specific audience in mind and consider all the complexities they may face when using your website or product, involving them in the process to ensure your solutions reflect their actual experiences and preferences.
Can We Truly Design for Everyone?
Given the inherent complexities of trying to be “as inclusive as possible”, the question remains: Can we ever truly design for everyone?
The Limits of Universal Design
The simple answer is: No. There is no such thing as a universally perfect design. The very concept of “one-size-fits-all” design is fundamentally at odds with the realities of human diversity. People’s needs and preferences are shaped by a multitude of factors, and these cannot always be captured in a single design solution. Trying to account for every user’s need will always involve compromises, and no product will ever be entirely “perfect for everyone”.
A More Realistic Approach: Flexibility and Adaptability
Inclusive design should instead shift you into creating flexible, adaptable systems that offer users a way to customise their experiences. By offering options—whether it’s the ability to increase text size, change colour schemes, adjust navigation modes, or choose how information is presented—designers can better accommodate different preferences and situational needs.
In this way, flexibility becomes the cornerstone of inclusive design. It’s not about designing for every person at once, but about creating systems that can be adjusted to meet a variety of individual requirements. This approach acknowledges that inclusivity doesn’t mean standardising the experience, but rather ensuring that your audience has the ability to shape the experience to their needs.
Final Thoughts
So, can we truly design for everyone? The honest answer is no—at least not in the sense of creating a single solution that will work perfectly for every individual. However, we can create digital experiences that are genuinely inclusive by prioritising flexibility, adaptability, and user-driven design.
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