Design strategy cannot afford to ignore diversity anymore

With consumers increasingly looking for companies they shop with to also strive to create a sense of purpose and responsibility with their brands, historic firms risk falling out of touch with a new generation of customers. Eleanor Goichman Brett, a global inclusion consultant at GP Strategies, explains how companies can use inclusive product design to keep conscientious consumers on their side.

The rise of the inclusive consumer has been highlighted in research by McKinsey & Company – and companies ignore it at their peril. Social values are shaping purchase decisions more than ever, according to the report, and retailers that act now stand to attract consumers' loyalty and spending.

But consumers are looking for more than just inclusive business practices. They want to know that products will be inclusive not just for them, but for everyone.

Yet we are still seeing products that are not designed for everyone – consoles and keyboards that are not accessible for all, for example, and facial recognition software that works best for white men. On top of that, more than two-thirds of websites are still not accessible, according to a study by Nucleus Research.

Inclusive design creates products that are built for everyone from project initiation through to the way they're launched. It's about understanding and empathising with users from all backgrounds and abilities – and building those needs into the design.

To ensure that creating inclusive products that work for everyone becomes a priority – not just a 'nice to have' – it needs to be embedded within working practices. When working with clients, inclusion must be considered from the outset. Inclusion must be role modelled from those leading teams and projects, and psychological safety must be created to ensure innovative ideas that work for everyone are heard and respected. If the process and practices are seen to deprioritise inclusion, the outcome will be unlikely to work for everyone.

In order to do that, it's essential to start with the data. The diversity of the potential customer group has to be understood. The diversity profile must then be kept alive throughout the project and addressed in the design process, not as an afterthought. For example, if the product is being design for gamers, does the team truly understand the diversity profile of those gamers? Or, if designing earbuds for running, is the diversity profile of runners understood? Only then can the product be designed for the diversity of potential users.

Diversity-centred design

Once the diversity of users is understood, the diversity of user needs has to be understood and be at the centre of the design. That means during the empathise phase of the design, users who represent the diversity of the target market must be part of the research group. When assessing the needs of those different users, it is important to do so inclusively – having true empathy for their experiences and removing biases from the equation. Unfortunately, finding diverse users is often put in the 'too hard' box – they are often even labelled as 'hard to reach' – but this vital step must not be deprioritised. Only then can the risk of launching a product that only works for a certain diversity profile be minimised.

Just as with the empathise phase, the users who test the product or prototype need to be representative of the end-user profile. And it is vital that the test process and environment is inclusive. For example, if a survey is used, is it accessible? If focus groups are used, are they managed in a way that is safe for all participants to speak up? Employee resource groups can also be a great source for testing or sourcing testers.

To ensure that inclusive design becomes embedded, it should be clear that it is a vital part of the design and implementation process – and that this is integral to a company's reputation. Just as, if a product hasn't met safety standards, it would be a risk, if it hasn't met inclusion standards, it is also a risk. A focus on inclusive design can position an organisation as one that can enable clients to increase their brand reputation, reach more users and, ultimately, create better products.