Inclusive: A Microsoft design toolkit
Inclusive is Microsoft’s design toolkit which provides set of guidelines for product makers to include wide range of users in the design…
Inclusive: A Microsoft design toolkit
Inclusive is Microsoft’s design toolkit which provides set of guidelines for product makers to include wide range of users in the design process.
How inclusive design is different from accessibility design?
Accessibility is an characteristic whereas inclusive design is a method. Using inclusive design we can make the product more accessible, it’s not about meeting all accessibility standards but including diverse set of users in the design process.
To know more about accessibility guidelines:
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Checklist
Inclusive
The toolkit is designed to be accommodated in the different levels of the design process. Each of them has a clear instruction with their purpose and a how to guide.
Design Process
Sample Activity Card from Inclusive Toolkit
The principles of inclusive design
Recognise exclusion
“Disability is not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.”
–World Health Organization
Exclusion happens when we solve problems using our own biases. The toolkit helps us to use those exclusions as opportunities to create new ideas and create products that can serve diverse set of people.
Learn from diversity
People adapt to diversity in unexpected ways. Putting people in the centre of the design process from the start lets us to gather valuable insights which would not have been considered else.
Solve for one, extend to many
A solution that works well for someone might also benefit other persons. Inclusive design works across a spectrum of related abilities, connecting different people in similar circumstances. For instance a solution designed for people with one arm might help people with an arm injury or a new parent who has situational disability to use both the hands.
© Microsoft 2017
You can learn more about the kit and can also download the activity cards from the Microsofts Inclusive Toolkit page.