In the world of UX design, there has been a growing focus on creating inclusive experiences, also known as inclusive design.
Inclusive design is a design practice where products and services are designed in a way that they are accessible and can serve as many people as possible, regardless of their age, gender, culture, or abilities.
This definition does not mean our goal is to design an universal “one size fits all” product. As the inclusive design leader Susan Goltsman puts it:
“Inclusive design doesn’t mean you’re designing one thing for all people. You’re designing a diversity of ways to participate so that everyone has a sense of belonging.”
Examples of inclusive design and why it matters
Why does inclusive design matter? There is a misconception that it’s all about designing for “edge cases”, but let’s take a closer look at designing for people of all abilities. A lot of these edge cases are more common than we might think.
Designing for vision impairment
According to the World Health Organization, globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. That’s 28% of the global population. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 12 million people over 40 years old in the United States have vision impairment. Coincidentally, that’s also 28% of the American population - hardly an edge case.
According to the World Health Organization and CDC, at least 28% of people globally and in the US have a near or distance vision impairment.
It’s important to realize that including design solutions for these 28% will benefit the remaining 70% of people as well, regardless of whether they have a visual disability or impairment.
For example, using larger font sizes and increasing contrast and enabling people to easily adjust font sizes up or down according to their preferences, will benefit everyone.
30% of the population with visual impairment will be able to read faster and more efficiently. The remaining 70% of the population will be able to scan the content faster. It’s a win-win.
More and more accessibilities features and products have been arriving on the market. For example, Apple’s VoiceOver is an industry‑leading screen reader that tells us exactly what’s happening on our devices, while the Larger Text feature allows people to adjust the size using an accessibility slider.
A snapshot of Apple’s Accessibility page
Google’s Accessibility page lists 37 products designed with accessibility standards in mind. For example, the Chrome browser supports screen readers offering people with low vision full-page zoom, high-contrast color, and extensions. Google Assistant helps people with impaired vision bypass typing and using voice commands.
A snapshot of Google’s Accessibility page
Designing for age differences
Designing for people of different ages is also important. According to a United Nations report, it is expected that the number of people over the age of sixty will almost double by 2050 (from 962 million to 2.1 billion), and triple by 2100 (to 3.1 billion). Taking into account the overall population growth, the percentage of over sixty year olds will increase from 13% in 2017 to 21% in 2050 and 28% in 2100. Globally, the group of people over sixty is growing more rapidly than any other demographic.
Designing for people of age is an important part of inclusive UX design
Studies show that as we age, we process information differently than when we are younger. There are differences in memory, concentration, and even things like what motivates us to use technology and various digital products.
Cognitive changes that often come with mature age can slow people down.
While they will be able to complete the same tasks as younger people, it would take them longer. They are also likely to find it harder to remember information they learned earlier.
Taking this into account, UX designers can add a more thorough onboarding, well-written documentation, and app notifications. It will not only help elderly people but also the younger users who are living hectic lives with many tasks a day and exposed to digital overload.
Take the amazing products from Headspace, for example. Both the app and the website provide user-friendly onboarding and make it intuitive to browse meditations based on their purpose. Read more about the Headspace app in this article.
Headspace website provides easy Information Architecture
Headspace app provides easy and descriptive onboarding
Designing for gender identities
We tend to make assumptions around gender based on someone’s name or the way they look. However, a person’s gender identity doesn’t always match up with their gender expression. What’s more, not everyone identifies with the binary notion of male and female.
When a person is misgendered, they may feel like the person addressing them is ignorant. Or worse, they may feel invalidated, excluded, and hurt.
Ideas about gender identity also have been rapidly changing in the U.S. and Gen Z is at the front end of this mindset shift. According to the Pew Research Center, members of the Gen Z are much more likely than any other generation to say they personally know someone who prefers to go by gender-neutral pronouns (35% compared to 25% of Millennials, 16% of Gen Xers, 12% of Boomers, and 7% of Silents).
Gen Z are far more likely to believe that online profiles should include options other than male and female (59% compared to 50% of Millennials, 40% Gen Xers and 37% of Boomers).
Why do Gen Z and Millennials' opinions matter for designers? Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials have replaced Boomers as the largest demographic in the U.S. In 2019, with an estimated population of 72.1 million, or 22%. Gen Z already makes up around 21% percent of the U.S. population, and they appear to be the most racially and ethnically diverse of all the generation groups. It is hardly an edge case to address the needs of Millennials and Gen Z, almost half of the current population.
To create a safe space for people to communicate and express themselves, offering options for gender-neutral pronouns and custom pronouns in online profiles will be essential.
In a workspace app, for example, it can ensure that every employee feels respected and valued. Here are some examples of products that have incorporated gender inclusivity features recently.
Example of pronouns feature in Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
Inclusive design is not about designing for edge cases. There is a growing diversity when it comes to age, gender, culture, and abilities, and directly addressing diversity will become the norm in UX design in the years to come.