Whom are you not designing for?

Earlier this year I had a privilege of sharing my thoughts on the future of inclusive design with the readers of Readymag. We discussed topics ranging from accessibility testing to democratisation of technology, and you can find highlights from the conversation here.

How do you define human-centered design?

If design is the process of envisioning and planning the creation of something, then a human-centered approach defines how to measure its success. When form follows function, human-centered design is simply the process of designing something for humans and measuring the outcome by how usable it is.

What is the difference between accessible and inclusive design?

I like to think of inclusivity as a spectrum: on the one extreme, you are designing an exclusive product for one specific user, and on the other, you are creating something for everyone. Accessibility, which means inclusion of people with known disabilities, as well as others, is partway down this spectrum. It addresses the needs of some users, but doesn’t include everyone.

Are inclusive and ethical design synonymous?

I sometimes hear people using the terms inclusive and ethical design…