Inclusive Design: design for the whole population

Springer-Verlag London Ltd.

John Clarkson Simeon Keates

Engineering Design Centre, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 lPZ, UK

Roger Coleman Cherie Lebbon

The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, The Royal College of Art, London, SW7 2EU, UK

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ISBN 978-1-85233-700-1 ISBN 978-1-4471-0001-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4471-0001-0

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© Springer-Verlag London 2003

Originally published by Springer-Verlag London Limited in 2003.

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Inclusive Design:

design for the

whole population

Edited by

John Clarkson

Roger Coleman

Simeon Keates

Cherie Lebbon

Springer

Foreword Inclusive Design plants the flag of universal needs

and expectations firmly at the summit of global business development and I am grateful to its quartet of editors and to its many distinguished contributors for sharing their knowledge and ideas in this way.

There is still more work to be done in both future research and in applying the ideas and principles to products and services that are generated by businesses and government. This is a starting point ~ now read on ...

The challenge of designing inclusively for the whole population is not just a matter of social urgency - it has become one of the defining business priorities of the age. The social argument plus the business argument have in my view become inevitable

We are now living in a world of rapidly ageing populations with a broader range of physical and cognitive capabilities than ever before. Allied to this, we are in the grip of potentially alienating technologies and face the cultural upheavals that accompany the emergence of new patterns of living and working. We depend on technologies more than ever before: we understand less about tech-nologies than ever before. A big recipe for problems ahead.

The need has never been greater for products, services and environments to be developed in such a way that they do not exclude, but instead reflect more accurately the diverse demands of today's users - particular older and disabled people. That is why economies and governments around the world are now recognising the importance of a movement we in Europe call inclusive design- and in America and Japan they call universal design.

The challenge of inclusive design is not just about offering equality of social opportunity. There is also a huge business opportunity. Markets previously excluded by design are large and growing - and will reward those manufacturers and service providers who bring them in from the cold. All of this explains why the Design Council and the Department ofTrade and Industry within the UK government take the subject of inclusive design very seriously indeed. The stakes involved are now sky high.

This book represents a powerful contribution to knowledge in a young and flourishing field. It covers all the bases and is truly international in scope. Importantly, its contributors include academic researchers, business managers and professional designers - the three main constituencies whose collaborative project must be jointly to create a more inclusive future for us all.

Professor Sir Christopher Frayling

Chairman. Design Council

Rector, Royal College of Art

Preface

As you settle down to read this compendium of principles, perspectives and practical guidance on inclusive design, you might like to know how it all came about. This book is a major outcome of a three-year research project in the UK jointly undertaken by the Design Council with the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the Royal College of Art, the Engineering Design Centre at Cambridge University and the Design for Ability Unit at Central St Martins College of Art.

Entitled i~design, the project was funded by the EPSRC {Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) with a view to demonstrating the growing market Lesley Morris

potential of inclusive design, encouraging its take-up by Design Learning Manager,

mainstream manufacturers and service providers, and Design Council

offering tools and information on the subject to design professionals. A major catalyst for the project was the DTI's Technology Foresight programme. This identified population ageing as a key driver of change and led to the EQUAL research initiative, which was taken up the UK's government-funded research councils, the EPSRC among them.

In its structure and contents, this book clearly reflects the objectives of the i~design study. Its three main sections map out first, the business context in which inclusive design operates, and then a set of design methodologies that will enable designers to make their work more socially inclusive. Finally, a series of views on the future present a roadmap for change in the years ahead.

Inclusive design is presented here neither as an entirely new genre of design nor as a separate specialism. It is framed within a more generalist approach to designing in which designers simply ensure that their products and services address the needs of the widest possible audience, irrespective of age or ability.

I say 'simply' but inclusive design is anything but. In fact it is a highly complex field incorporating many

different facets and viewpoints. That is why you will find different contributions in this book covering the same ground from different angles to reflect the healthy diversity of opinion and approach that has grown up around the subject.

As one of the many insightful papers reminds us: "Inclusive design is about culture and cognition, not just about mobility and dexterity."

In terms of study, the field is still relatively new and untried but that is changing rapidly as universities, research institutes, commercial companies and government departments all focus their attention on ways to break the old consumer stereotypes of one-size-fits-all.

In the first section, The Business Case, you will hear the voices of users traditionally excluded from the design process, investigate the demographic, legal, and technological drivers of change, and learn why major organisations such as Fiat, BT, Royal Mail and BAA have taken the inclusive design message on board. In addition, the European context will sit against the experiences of Japan and the United States.

The second section, A Design Toolkit, quantifies the extent of design exclusion in the whole population and explores strategies to counter it. A range of observational, ethnographic methods in design is presented to capture the richness of the user experience. Alongside other resources for designers, an empathic design model is described which teams designers with critical users.

Finally, Where Next? anticipates the impact of emerging technologies and embryonic standards on inclusive design practice in the future. A glossary of terms aids the reader in grasping key concepts, methods and chronologies.

different facets and viewpoints. That is why you will find different contributions in this book covering the same ground from different angles to reflect the healthy diversity of opinion and approach that has grown up around the subject.

As one of the many insightful papers reminds us: "Inclusive design is about culture and cognition, not just about mobility and dexterity."

In terms of study, the field is still relatively new and untried but that is changing rapidly as universities, research institutes, commercial companies and government departments all focus their attention on ways to break the old consumer stereotypes of one-size-fits-all.

In the first section, The Business Case, you will hear the voices of users traditionally excluded from the design process, investigate the demographic, legal, and technological drivers of change, and learn why major organisations such as Fiat, BT, Royal Mail and BAA have taken the inclusive design message on board. In addition, the European context will sit against the experiences of Japan and the United States.

The second section, A Design Toolkit, quantifies the extent of design exclusion in the whole population and explores strategies to counter it. A range of observational, ethnographic methods in design is presented to capture the richness of the user experience. Alongside other resources for designers, an empathic design model is described which teams designers with critical users.

Finally, Where Next? anticipates the impact of emerging technologies and embryonic standards on inclusive design practice in the future. A glossary of terms aids the reader in grasping key concepts, methods and chronologies.

Inclusive Design plants the flag of universal needs and expectations firmly at the summit of global business development and I am grateful to its quartet of editors and to its many distinguished contributors for sharing their knowledge and ideas in this way.

There is still more work to be done in both future research and in applying the ideas and principles to products and services that are generated by businesses and government. This is a starting point ~ now read on ...

Contents

Introduction From margins to mainstream Roger Coleman and Cherie Lebbon, Royal College of Art

John Clarkson and Simeon Keates, University of Cambridge

The business case

Understanding consumers

1

Chapter 1: Designing for older users 30 Felicia Huppert, University of Cambridge

Chapter 2:The struggle for independence 50 Marion Bieber, University of the Thrird Age

Chapter 3: Lifestyle, design and disability 58 Katy Owen, disability awareness trainer

Malcolm Johnston, the London Institute

Chapter 4: Disability unplugged 70 Judith Payling, Dare Foundation, Angela and Peter Zein

Chapter 5: Design exclusion 88 Simeon Keates and John Clarkson, University of Cambridge Chapter 6: Power to the people 108 David Yelding, Research Institute for Consumer Affairs (Ricability)

Business drivers Chapter 7: Living longer Roger Coleman, Royal College of Art Chapter S:The legal argument for inclusive design Catherine Casserley, RNIB and Marcus Ormerod,

University of Salford

Chapter 9: Inclusion - a commercial perspective Joanne Coy, Consignia

Chapter 1 0: Inclusive design or assistive technology Alan Newell, University of Dundee

Chapter 11: Humanising technology Alastair Macdonald, Glasgow School of Art

120

142

156

172

182

Best practice Chapter 12: Connecting business, inclusion and design Graham Pullin and Martin Bontoft, IDEO London

Chapter 13: The Fiat Autonomy Programmme Alessandro Coda and Richard Gadeselli, Fiat Group

Chapter 14: Internet usability Jeff Patmore and Lisa Mahoney, BT Exact Technologies

Chapter 15: Everyday inclusive design Nina Warburton, Alloy Total Product Design

Chapter 16: From process to pleasure Raymond Turner, British Airports Authority (BAA)

The global picture Chapter 17: A European perspective Roger Coleman, Royal College of Art Karin Bendixen, Danish Centre for Accessibility

Paivi Tahkokallio, National Research Centre for Welfare

and Health, Finland (STAKES) Chapter 18: The Japanese experience Satoshi Kose, Building Research Institute, Japan Chapter 19: Universal products in the US James Mueller, North Carolina State University

Chapter 20: International design education strategies Elaine Ostroff, Global Design Educators' Network

206

216

226

250

270

288

308

318

336

A design toolkit

Understanding users Chapter 21: The prevalence of functional impairment in Great Britain John Clarkson, Hua Dong and Simeon Keates,

University of Cambridge

Chapter 22: The ability database Malcolm Johnston, London Institute

Chapter 23:The sense ofindependence Judith Payling, Dare Foundation

Chapter 24: Observation for innovation Cherie Lebbon, Royal College of Art, Mark Rouncefield,

University of Lancaster, Steve Villier, University of Queensland

Understanding the challenge Chapter 25: Quantifying design exclusion John Clarkson, Hua Dong and Simeon Keates,

University of Cambridge

360

372

382

402

422

Chapter 26: Countering design exclusion 438 Simeon Keates and John Clarkson, University of Cambridge Chapter 27: Assessment for inclusive design 458 Carlos Cardoso, Simeon Keates and John Clarkson, University of Cambridge

Design responses Chapter 28: Design and empathy Roger Coleman, Cherie Lebbon and Jeremy Myerson,

Royal College of Art

Chapter 29: A designer-centred approach Cherie Lebbon and Roger Coleman, Royal College of Art

Chapter 30:What is an inclusive design process? Martin Bontoft and Graham Pullin, IDEO London

Chapter 31: Critical users in design innovation Julia Cassim, Royal College of Art and Hua Dong, University of Cambridge

478

500

520

532

Future views

Chapter 32: Inclusion, inspiration and lightness of touch 558 Graham Pullin, IDEO London

Chapter 33:The future for ICT 566 Alan Newell, University of Dundee

Chapter 34: Design in a digital world 57 6 Mike Woods, Tangerine

Chapter 35: Remote interaction 582 Steven Wilcox and Eric Callahan, Design Science

Chapter 36: Setting a standard 588 Roger Coleman, Royal College of Art

Glossary, index and authors

Glossary of terms Keyword index Author biographies

598 604 606

Acknowledgements:

The editors would like to thank all those who have helped bring

this book about. In particular the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, for its funding of the research programme 'i~design', of which this book is a major output. Also the Design Council, which, as a partner to the research programme, has been an ardent promoter of inclusive design to business and education, and has supported the

production of the book.

The i ~design programme brings together researchers in engineering and design from the University of Cambridge, the

London Institute, the Royal College of Art and the Design Council,

and the research team would like to thank the many members of staff, researchers and students of those institutions who have supported them in their work and contributed to the programmes described in the book In particular, special thanks must go to the i~design Steering Group which has supported and guided the research team throughout.

Thanks must also go to all the people who contributed images

to the book, and importantly to the students of the Royal College of Art, whose work features in many of them. Unless otherwise stated, copyright in all images used in the book rests with the editors, and/ or authors, and their organisations and research and business partners. In the case of work by RCA students, copyright rests jointly with the RCA and the students concerned, intellectual property rests either with the individual students or jointly with the RCA. Special thanks must go to Ivan Coleman and Julia Cassim who took many of the images used in the book, to RCA graduate Georgina Ravenscroft for her images of older people, and to Margaret Durkan for much of the production work.

i .... design steering group

Dr Emily Horwood Graham Pullin Dr Joanne Coy Engineering and Physical Sciences IDEO EUROPE Research Manager

Research Council (EPSRC) White Bear Yard Royal Mail Technology Centre

Polaris House 144a Clerkenwell Road Swindon

North Star Avenue London SN3 4FT

Swindon EClR SDF

SN2 lET

Dr Felicia A Huppert Marion Bieber }ames}app University of Cambridge U3A (London) The Papworth Trust

Department of Psychiatry 44 Crowndale Road Papworth Everard

Box 189 Addenbrooke's Hospital London NW 1 1 TR Cambridge

Cambridge CB2 2QQ CB3 8RG

Martin Derbyshire Chris Ramsden Dr John Gill Tangerine Product Development The Chartered Society of Chief Scientist 8 Baden Place Designers Royal National Institut

Crosby Row 32-38 Saffron Hill for the Blind

London London 224 Great Portland Street

SEl lYW EClN 8SG London W 1 N 6AA

Mike Woods Prof Martin Richards Mike Joyce Tangerine Product Development Centre for Family Research Senior Solicitor

8 Baden Place Cambridge University South Norfolk Council

Crosby Row Free School Lane Long Stratton

London Cambridge South Norfolk

SEl lYW CB2 3RF NR15 2XE

Introduction

From margins to mainstream

Roger Coleman and Cherie Lebbon Royal College of Art

John Clarkson and Simeon Keates University of Cambridge