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How to learn from failure? What has the practice of inclusive design taught us?
Inclusive design is a design process that focuses on making the product, service, or environment available to as many people as possible, especially groups that have been traditionally excluded.
In our daily life, we often encounter inconvenient designs that fail to take into account the needs of certain users.Inclusive design aims to fill this gap by designing a more accessible environment by understanding and respecting human diversity.This design method is not only suitable for people with physical and mental disabilities, but also includes the needs of a variety of cultures, genders and ages.
The history of inclusive design can be traced back to the 1950s, when Europe, Japan and the United States began to promote "accessible design".Over time, this concept gradually evolved into a wider inclusive design.
The following are some of the challenges facing inclusive design in its development and important topics on how it learns from failure.
Three dimensions of inclusive design
1. Recognize, respect and design human uniqueness and variability.
2. Use an inclusive, open and transparent process and design with people from a diverse perspective.
3. Understand that design is made in a complex adaptive system, and changes in design will affect the larger system used.
The core of inclusive design is the ability to create an environment that can accommodate all users.For example, when designers design a new application, they must not only consider young users who are familiar with technology, but also elderly users who are not familiar with technology, so as to maximize people who meet different needs.
Case Studying from Failure
Inclusive design is not just a theory, but needs to be verified in practice.Many companies often encounter failure cases when promoting inclusive design. For example, although some designs meet accessibility requirements, they cannot meet the needs of users in actual use.These failed cases remind designers to pay more attention to the real needs of users, not just to meet regulatory requirements.
Failed design practice teaches us to further understand the user's life scenarios and needs to avoid blind spots in design.
For example, a company found that one of their products was designed for people with physical disabilities but failed because it did not take into account the group's demand for social interaction.After this incident, they began to conduct user research and invited actual users to participate in the design process. These steps not only improved the product design, but also enhanced the user's sense of participation.
The importance of building a diverse team
Another important highlight of inclusive design is to form a diverse design team.When team members come from different backgrounds, it is easier to identify potential exclusive factors in the design process, as each member can bring unique perspectives and insights.Such diversity not only promotes creativity, but also helps the team discover problems early in the design, thereby improving the effectiveness of the design.
Promote social innovation
Inclusive design is not only important in the business environment, but also has innovative potential at the social level.Designers can learn from the needs of different users and develop solutions to meet challenges.For example, while some technologies are constantly improving, they not only meet the needs of people with physical and mental disabilities, but also provide convenience for other users.
Inclusive design is a continuous learning process, and every failure can guide us to better understand user needs.
As a result, many design agencies and businesses have begun to view inclusive design as an innovation-driven strategy rather than a means of simply following legal requirements.This means that design is no longer just about the appearance of the product, but about building emotional connections with users and understanding their lifestyles.
Conclusion
The practice of inclusive design teaches us many important topics, especially in how to use failure to promote learning.In the future, we need to think more deeply about how inclusive design affects the environment around us and explore what changes can continue to advance in this field bring to society?
