Are you a design, NPD or innovation manager? Are you involved in marketing and branding? Here are some top tips for inclusive design from Roger Coleman
- Determine the extent to which consumers are inadequately catered for or discouraged by auditing current consumer offers (and premises where applicable) against the specific needs and aspirations of older and disabled people.
- Build appropriate knowledge and skills within design and marketing teams. This may require the engagement of specialists, attendance at appropriate conferences and workshops, and collaboration with the research community.
- Initiate collaborations with design consultancies and design schools with a record of achievement in inclusive design. Consider sponsoring appropriate design competitions, events and conferences to gain a sense of potential new directions in design.
- Capitalise on the potential for differentiation in markets through greater accessibility and usability of, for example, products and ICT services and corporate websites, as well as buildings and other resources.
- Ensure design teams access appropriate tools and techniques necessary for delivering inclusive design, and use them effectively.
- Develop a better understanding of consumers' and users' lifestyles and aspirations through alliances with organisations of disabled and older consumers (in particular local University of the Third Age groups), and also by tapping into the specialist knowledge of university researchers and practitioners in independent consultancies.