by Güney Güner -

Inclusive / Universal / Accessible Design (2)

The names in the title all serve similar purposes. Universal design is described as;

Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.

[1]

While inclusive design can also mean the same thing for websites and built environments, its main origin was product design where the principle acknowledges that there can’t be one single product that solves all the problems for all the users however different perspectives and approaches can make a product usable for a more diverse population, hence a product can be optimised for a population with specific needs.[2] Whereas accessible design focuses more on the people with disabilities.[3]

Although these principles contradict with each other a bit when it comes to product design, we can say that universal design covers the other two for a “for all” interaction design approach. Producing something that is usable by all is the main approach of universal design, while both accessible and inclusive design look for different approaches like adding accessibility options to an OS to achieve better usability by all.

7 Principles of Universal Design[4]

  1. Equitable Use – consider all users instead of a target group
  2. Flexibility in Use – flexible, adaptable and/or customisable design
  3. Simple and Intuitive Use – reduce complexity and cognitive loads
  4. Perceptible Information – present easily digestible information
  5. Tolerance for Error – create an error-friendly environment
  6. Low Physical Effort – efficient and effortless usability
  7. Size and Space for Approach and Use

Guideline for Accessibility[5][6]

  • Include personas with varying abilities.
  • Don’t use color as the only visual means of conveying information.
  • Ensure sufficient contrast between text and its background.
  • Provide visual focus indication for keyboard focus.
  • Be careful with forms.
  • Avoid component identity crises.
  • Don’t make people hover to find things.
  • Make content easily understandable.
  • Try using your design without a mouse. 

6 Principles of Inclusive Design[7]

  1. Seek out points of exclusion
  2. Identify situational challenges
  3. Recognize personal biases
  4. Offer different ways to engage
  5. Provide equivalent experiences
  6. Extend the solution to everyone

All these guidelines and principles can improve the overall experience of the user, therefore they have to be accounted for in a design process. This is the first step towards understanding what is and what can be “design for all” and implementing it to interaction design for the elderly.

Sources

  • [1] http://universaldesign.ie/What-is-Universal-Design/
  • [2] http://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com/whatis/whatis.html#p40
  • [3] https://www.nchpad.org/529/2457/Designing~for~Inclusive~Play~~~ Applying~the~Principles~of~Universal~Design~to~the~Playground
  • [4] https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/learn-to-create-accessible-websites-with-the-principles-of-universal-design
  • [5] https://medium.com/salesforce-ux/7-things-every-designer-needs-to-know-about-accessibility-64f105f0881b
  • [6] https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/accessibility
  • [7] https://uxplanet.org/6-principles-for-inclusive-design-3e9867f7f63e
by Güney Güner -

Inclusive Interaction Design for the Elderly (1)

How does existing accessibility elements in UI/UX design impact digital usage by elderly and how can they be improved?

Digital interaction is a big part of our daily lives now. The rapid changes in this digital world have both advantages and disadvantages. Following trends and adapting to new technologies is getting harder by the day, especially for the elderly. With increasing senior population especially in the developed world and fast paced changes in technology isolation is imminent. Older generations are excluded from so many developments that change our lives for the better. With the hit of a pandemic it became much more apparent how online and digital technologies can change so much and help us in our lives. And specifically in this example senior citizens should be the ones who are able to take advantage of these developments and tools. But they mostly can’t because of several different reasons like hardships regarding usability, learning issues, trust issues, all in all not being able to adapt to these changes.

There are existing accessibility options embedded in the interfaces we use daily, most of them being OS based. How do these solutions compare to each other, how often are they used and by whom? Universal design principles are key to these elements and they must be as accessible as possible by the user. If these features are hidden in the interface then it defies the purpose.

This whole experience can be improved with better guidelines for designers and adding empathy into the equation. Can every app or appliance be adapted to the seniors through this method?

I’ve chosen this topic mainly because I’m highly interested in inclusive design and my motto would be “design for all”. Besides that, I also have co-written a paper on a similar matter which broadened my perspective for the topic and provided me with the necessary basis for a starting point.

Sources:

  • https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/02/designing-digital-technology-for-the- elderly/
  • https://www.toptal.com/designers/ui/ui-design-for-older-adults
  •  https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-for-senior-citizens/
  • https://uxplanet.org/accessible-design-designing-for-the-elderly-41704a375b5d
  • https://uxplanet.org/ux-accessibility-for-elderly-12-principles-9708289b6f78
  • “User interface based on natural interaction design for seniors”
  • https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/learn-to-create-accessible-websites-with-the-principles-of-universal-design
  • https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-intro/
  • https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/understand-the-social-needs-for-accessibility-in-ux-design