Design for the value of inclusiveness

There is an increasing awareness that many everyday products and services present challenges and difficulties to potential users. These difficulties may arise because the products and services have not been designed to allow for the full range of functional capabilities of the users who wish to use them. Medical conditions, accidents, ageing, or genetic predisposition means that most people will at some point experience functional impairments that make everyday products and services difficult to use. This chapter aims to introduce readers to the needs of the full range of users and provide an introduction to how they can develop more inclusive products and services. It addresses the principal approaches and tools to designing for inclusivity as well as the underlying rationale for why companies and designers need to consider this important set of users