Examples

Identifying good examples of inclusive design is not straightforward, as there are many facets to the subject, ranging from business practice, through design process, to specific examples of environments, products and services

Here are some of the best examples of inclusive design in action.

Transport and mobility

Project: The London Taxi
Designers: Pentagram designers, led by Kenneth Grange
Year: October 1997

The taxi can accommodate a wheelchair along with other passengers, and boasts a range of safety and accessibility features such as grab bars, which are integrated into the vehicle's aesthetic. Key to the concept is the idea that licensed London taxis constitute a public service and should therefore be accessible to all.

Product design

Project: Good Grips
Designer: Smart Design
Company: OXO Inc.
Year: first introduced in 1990

Good Grips is a range of kitchen and household tools that exemplifies the inclusive design principles of meeting the needs of a more widely defined consumer population. The product range is stylish and desirable while being functionally improved for a diverse population with differing dexterity capabilities. The Good Grips range has been included in the Design Collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and received many design awards including one from the US Arthritis Foundation.

The original range of 15 products was designed by New York-based Smart Design. Smart Design works very closely with users, focusing on meeting their actual needs rather than on product functionality per se. Key to the company's approach is the view that 'physical design is dead' and that it is the design of experiences that now matters. This has proved a very powerful idea with regard to inclusive design.

Oxo is a design-led company, and currently works with six or seven design consultancies on a royalty basis. This approach has allowed OXO to build its brand values around award winning designs that demonstrate fitness for purpose and out-perform competitors in both looks and functionality. As a consequence OXO has grown by more than 30% year-on-year since it was founded in the early 1990s.

Corporate research

Project: Microsoft accessibility survey
Year: 2003-2004

In 2003 and 2004, Software giant Microsoft commissioned a representative survey of the range of abilities across the working age population and its likely impact on computer technology and usage. The goal was to identify the range of physical and cognitive abilities among working age adults and current computer users in the US, and also to identity the types of difficulties and impairments that limit computer use, their range and degree of severity, and the number of people who could benefit from accessible technology.

The 15,000 people sampled delivered a clear and very powerful message: 57% of them could benefit from accessibility features that are often buried within the operating system, rather than being made evident to the mainstream user. In other words, software developed for what Microsoft regarded as a minority of the population - disabled and older users - offers benefits to the majority. The impact of this research on Microsoft has been significant, pushing accessibility high up the agenda for management and software developers alike.

Project: Philips web-based survey
Year: 2004

Research initiated by electronics giant Philips in 2004 very much confirms the Microsoft view (albeit with a smaller, but representative sample). Through primarily examining attitudes towards healthcare and well-being, the research is also revealing about attitudes towards technology. For example, two out of three respondents reported having lost interest in a technology product because it seemed 'too complex to set up or operate', while only 13% believed that in general, 'technology products are easy to use'.

Clearly, usability is a major factor in purchasing decisions regarding technology products, and those that prove difficult to use after purchase can result in dissatisfied customers, who will share that dissatisfaction with friends and over the internet to the detriment of brands.

Corporate initiatives

Project: B&Q Diversity Initiative
Year: 1998 onwards

British retailer B&Q has taken a proactive approach to the Disability Discrimination Act 1996 (DDA) through a company-wide Diversity Initiative. The aim is to make B&Q stores, products, services and employment opportunities accessible to as wide a range of the population as possible, and to go beyond compliance with the DDA to make inclusive design a key business strategy and way of developing the B&Q brand. It has recently introduced new ‘inclusive’ own-brand products, and more are in the pipeline. Sales are impressive and the products have been featured in national papers as among the top ten DIY/power tools on the market.

Business networks

Project: International Association for Universal Design (IAUD)
Year: Established 2003

Many Japanese companies have a longstanding interest in inclusive and universal design and modern Japanese cities are renowned for their accessibility. IAUD was set up in 2003 and brings together more than 120 Japanese companies, including major household names and SMEs. Members also include consumer organisations and key individuals in design and research. This network represents a significant step in advancing inclusive design practice and is likely to have a major influence worldwide, as Japanese products become increasingly user-friendly. UK businesses should take note.

Voluntary sector initiatives

Project: Centre for Inclusive Technology and Design
Year: 2003-present

At a 'Disability Summit' of UK charities and voluntary sector bodies, organised by cerebral palsy charity Scope, there was agreement that inclusive design is key to the integration of disabled people into the mainstream of life and work in the UK. In response, Scope set out to encourage major companies to develop inclusive products and services by establishing a 'Centre for Inclusive Technology and Design' - a network of interested organisations, with the required skills and expertise.

This idea was taken to the UK Department of Trade and Industry which funded an in-depth questionnaire study into levels of awareness in UK companies. In parallel, a series of pilot workshops was developed and delivered as a prototype training and design development package for UK companies. Currently, this package is being redefined, prior to a roll-out in 2007.