Design for the Average: Implications for Inclusive Design
Design for the average is a concept that suggests that products should be designed with the average user in mind. This concept has implications for the field of inclusive design, which aims to create accessible and user-friendly products and services for people of all abilities. This article provides an overview of the concept of design for the average and its implications for inclusive design.
The concept of design for the average has been around for decades, and it is based on the idea that products should be designed with the average user in mind (Trafton, 2019). This means that designers should design products that meet the needs of the average user, rather than designing for a specific user group (e.g. those with disabilities). This concept has implications for the field of inclusive design, which aims to create products and services that are accessible and user-friendly for people of all abilities.
Inclusive design takes the concept of design for the average one step further by considering the needs of all users, including those with disabilities. Inclusive design seeks to create products and services that are accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities (Abbasi et al., 2018). This means that products should be designed to be usable by people with a wide range of abilities, including those with physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities. The goal is to create products and services that are not just usable by the average user, but that are also accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities.
In addition to creating products and services that are accessible to all users, inclusive design also considers how products can be made more user-friendly for people with disabilities. This includes designing products with features that make them easier to use for people with disabilities, such as voice control, tactile feedback, or adjustable font size (Kapp, 2018). It also includes considering how products can be designed so that they are more intuitive and easier to use for people with disabilities, such as using larger buttons or providing visual cues for navigation (Abbasi et al., 2018).
In conclusion, the concept of design for the average has implications for inclusive design, which seeks to create products and services that are accessible and user-friendly for people of all abilities. Designers should consider the needs of all users, including those with disabilities, when designing products and services. This includes designing products with features that make them easier to use for people with disabilities, as well as considering how products can be designed to be more intuitive and user-friendly for all users.
References
Abbasi, M., Zadeh, M., Gholamian, A., & Tabatabaei, S. (2018). A survey on inclusive design of products. International Journal of Industrial Engineering: Theory, Applications and Practice, 25(1), 1–14.
Kapp, K. M. (2018). Universal design: Principles and models. Routledge.
Trafton, A. (2019). Design for the average user. Retrieved from https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2019/06/design-for-the-average-user.php