Inclusive Design Principles

🇸🇾🇸🇹🇪🇲🇸 🇹🇭🇮🇳🇰🇮🇳🇬 This was the single biggest learning I took from my years as a #diversity and #inclusion practitioner at Google, thanks to my brilliant former colleague Dr. Myosha M. – who introduced the concept to me. And seeing Harvard Business Review spotlight it this month reminded me just how pivotal it's been in shaping my career. The article makes a clear point: many "innovations" create as many problems as they solve, because they're designed in silos. Plastics made life cheaper and more convenient – and created an ecological nightmare. Ride-sharing expanded access – and gutted livelihoods. Breakthroughs and design thinking alone can't handle wicked problems. That's where systems thinking comes in: zooming out to see interdependencies, ripple effects, and relationships before zooming in to act. And honestly, DEI are the definition of a wicked problem: complex, entwined, yet unresolved despite the best efforts of people with noble interests at heart. Too often, we see linear, surface-level fixes like: ‣ Rolling out #UnconsciousBias training hoping that alone changes culture; ‣ Announcing hiring targets without rethinking criteria nor shifting retention practices; ‣ Celebrating "heritage months" without shifting power or budgets. A systems lens flips that: ‣ Instead of just bias training → embed equity checks and accountability loops into promotion processes, feedback systems, and manager incentives; ‣ Instead of hiring targets → redesign career paths so that minoritised employees stay, grow, and lead; ‣ Instead of one-off cultural celebrations → rewire procurement, governance, and leadership pipelines to shift actual resources and decision-making power. The HBR piece – written by Tima Bansal & Julian Birkinshaw – outlines four moves that resonate deeply with DEI work: 1️⃣ Define a desired future state (equity not as a slogan, but as the organisation's actual vision); 2️⃣ Reframe problems so they resonate across stakeholders (it's not "fixing women" but redesigning systems of overwork, pay, and recognition); 3️⃣ Focus on flows and relationships, not just one-off events (think: sponsorship networks, not just mentoring matchmaking); 4️⃣ Nudge the system forward with experiments (pilots that test structural change, then scale). These may sound abstract at first, but they're actually more grounded and effective than the window-dressing that burns out practitioners and disappoints employees while fuelling anti-DEI rhetoric. Because here's the thing: equity work should never be a side project, something delegated to an amateur, or a PR play. It's inherently a system redesign. And once you see it through that lens, the work gets harder — but also genuinely transformative. 💬 Curious: looking at your own org's DEI efforts, which feel most aligned to #SystemsThinking? ⬇️ Link to the article in comments.

Ever seen a program built to include… that ends up limiting instead? I have. A couple of times. I’ve seen initiatives designed with care and good intent but often, they unintentionally narrowed possibilities: 🔒 Steering specific marginalized people toward certain roles 🔒 Labeling them in ways that don’t reflect their full potential 🔒 Reinforcing the very boxes these programs aimed to break That’s why I’m a fan of applying Universal Design Principles to DEI work. Organisations need to rethink how they design programs and this framework has so much to offer. Originally developed to make physical spaces more accessible, Universal Design is a powerful framework for inclusion. It pushes us to design DEI related programs that are usable by all employees, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for separate, specialized design. 💥 It’s time we stop designing for categories and start designing for conditions. So ask yourself: how the conditions need to change for everyone can participate, contribute and thrive. Whether you're designing leadership tracks, trainings, mentorship programs or onboarding experiences, Universal Design helps you serve specific needs without excluding others. 💡 Curious how to do it? Here’s a sheet with more practical info that could inspire you to redesign. Because real inclusion starts not with asking, "Who do we need to support?"but "How can we design this to remove barriers so everyone can participate?" What are your thoughts on that? Please share in the comments 👇

Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day everyone! It's a great day to remind people, that, accessibility is the responsibility of the whole team, including designers! A couple of things designers can do: - Use sufficient color contrast (text + UI elements) and don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning. - Ensure readable typography: support text resizing, avoid hard-to-read styles, maintain hierarchy. - Make links and buttons clear and distinguishable (label, size, states). - Design accessible forms: clear labels, error help, no duplicate input, document states. - Support keyboard navigation: tab order, skip links, focus indicators, keyboard interaction. - Structure content with headings and landmarks: use proper H1–Hn, semantic order, regions. - Provide text alternatives for images, icons, audio, and video. - Avoid motion triggers: respect reduced motion settings, allow pause on auto-play. - Design with flexibility: support orientation change, allow text selection, avoid fixed-height elements. - Document accessibly and communicate: annotate designs, collaborate with devs, QA, and content teams. Need to learn more? I got a couple of resources on my blog: - A Designer’s Guide to Documenting Accessibility & User Interactions: https://lnkd.in/eUh8Jvvn - How to check and document design accessibility in your mockups: a conference on how to use Figma plugins and annotation kits to shift accessibility left https://lnkd.in/eu8YuWyF - Accessibility for designer: where do I start? Articles, resources, checklists, tools, plugins, and books to design accessible products https://lnkd.in/ejeC_QpH - Neurodiversity and UX: Essential Resources for Cognitive Accessibility, Guidelines to understand and design for Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD https://lnkd.in/efXaRwgF - Color accessibility: tools and resources to help you design inclusive products https://lnkd.in/dRrwFJ5 #Accessibility #ShiftLeft #GAAD

Are you an organization that would like to create a work environment that welcomes and allows everyone, including those with both visible and invisible disabilities, to thrive in 2025 and beyond? Here are 10 best practices for creating a disability-inclusive work environment: 1. Cultivate an inclusive culture: Foster a culture of respect, acceptance, and belonging where disability inclusion is championed by leadership and embraced by all. 2. Offer accessible hiring opportunities and processes: Ensure job postings, applications, interviews, and onboarding processes are fully accessible, with accommodations available upon request. 3. Provide disability awareness training: Educate employees and leaders about disabilities, inclusive language, and the importance of accessibility to reduce stigma and build understanding. 4. Ensure physical and digital accessibility: Design workplaces, tools, and technologies to be accessible, including ramps, assistive technology, and screen reader-compatible software. 5. Offer flexible work arrangements: Provide options like remote work, flexible schedules, and individualized accommodations to support diverse needs. 6. Create clear accommodation policies: Establish a transparent and responsive process for employees to request and receive workplace accommodations. Ensure the process of requesting and receiving reasonable accommodations is consistent, transparent, inclusive, interactive, and timely. 7. Engage disability employee resource groups (ERGs): Support and empower ERGs to provide insights, foster community, and advocate for inclusion initiatives. Ensure there is one (or more) ERG that advocates for accessibility and disability inclusion. 8. Incorporate universal design principles: Apply universal design to create environments, systems, and processes that benefit everyone, including people with disabilities. 9. Measure and monitor inclusion efforts: Track progress on disability inclusion initiatives through metrics like hiring rates, retention, and employee feedback. 10. Involve employees with disabilities in decision-making: Include employees with disabilities in policy development, product design, and workplace decisions—“Nothing About Us Without Us.” #DisabilityInclusion #Diversity #2025 #Accessibility #FutureOfWork #DEI #DEIA #Disability #Neurodiversity #Equity Image Text: Employees with disabilities can be productive and successful when the workplace is designed for everyone. @AsieduEdmund

One of our core goals at Neurodiversity in the Workplace is to reimagine how we support neurodivergent professionals—not just with accommodations, but with proactive, inclusive design. Too often, workplace accommodations are reactive. An employee has to: - Realize they need support - Navigate the internal request process - Wait for review, approval, and implementation This process can be time-consuming, stressful, and inefficient—not just for the employee, but for the organization. And here's the irony: most accommodations that are being processed cost little or nothing. According to the Job Accommodation Network, 56% of accommodations cost $0 to implement. Yet the delay and administrative overhead involved in getting to that solution often costs more than the support itself. So instead of waiting for someone to request what we already know many employees will need—we should flip the script to build those supports into the system from the start. Imagine if we took the most frequently requested accommodations and made them default features of the workplace through tools like: Universal supports, Manager toolkits, Built-in flexibility, Employee benefits additions, Open-access resources, etc... The tools already exist. The need is already clear. I'm focused on helping employers shift from reactive adjustments to proactive inclusion strategies—not just because it’s equitable, but because it’s also smart, scalable, and cost-effective. I’m excited to keep partnering, building, and sharing these solutions—and I invite others here to advocate for common-sense solutions, and share any ideas or examples where you have done this in the comments! #Neuroinclusion #Accessibility #UniversalDesign #Neurodiversity #FutureOfWork #DisabilityInclusion #HR #DEI #Leadership #WorkplaceInnovation

We know that a lack of EV chargers is a major deterrent. But for women, there’s more to the issue: A lack of safe charging stations. A recent survey found that 43% of US women have safety concerns surrounding EV charging stations. That’s because a lot of charging stations aren’t well lit, don’t have attendants and are situated in isolated areas. Plus, because there isn’t a universal payment system, this can elongate the process and force women to linger outside alone for longer periods. I’ve experienced this a few times when renting an EV. While in unfamiliar locations,I’ve been directed to charging areas that had little lighting, no security and no public areas nearby — not even a trash can in most places. Getting out to charge and pay while looking over your shoulder is a little scary. As we move towards mass adoption, we’re seeing an uptick in charging stations — which is great. But this isn’t just about numbers. And while there’s a rush to install as many chargers as possible to accommodate the growing number of EVs, this has to be done in a more thoughtful way that takes into consideration the needs, concerns and safety of all drivers. #EVs #evchargers #EVswomen #evsafety #evchargingsafety https://lnkd.in/e3NYuzGy

Design can only be termed good if it reaches all. Creating beautiful and innovative designs is a key goal for graphic designers. However, even the most visually appealing designs can be inaccessible to some users if they don’t consider various accessibility needs. Low contrast between text and gaudy backgrounds can make it difficult for people with visual impairments or colour blindness to read the content. Decorative fonts can be hard to read for everyone, especially for people with dyslexia or other reading disabilities. So, what do we do to make designs more disability inclusive? 🔍 Understand Diverse Needs: Begin with empathy. Get to know the unique needs and challenges faced by people with disabilities. This understanding will guide your design process to be more inclusive. 🖼️ Accessible Visuals: Use high-contrast colors and clear fonts to make text and images easily readable. 🗣️ Alt Text Matters: Provide descriptive alt text for all images to ensure that screen readers can convey the content to visually impaired users, making your designs more inclusive. 🎨 Responsive Design: Design with flexibility by creating layouts that adapt seamlessly across different devices and screen sizes, including those used by people with disabilities. ♿ Universal Symbols: Use universally recognized symbols and icons to communicate important information. 💬 Inclusive Language: Choose words that respect and acknowledge people with disabilities. Avoid ableist language and ensure your message is positive and empowering. 👩💻 User Testing with Disabled Communities:  Involve people with disabilities in your testing process. Their feedback is invaluable in creating designs that truly meet their needs. Embracing disability inclusion in our designs is the next step to making the world a better place. Let me know of more design inclusive strategies in the comments below! #inclusive #design #accessibility #uxdesign #a11y #disabilityinclusion #universaldesign #webaccessibility #empathyindesign #userexperience #designthinking

The easiest way to design travel websites? Start by avoiding this trap!!! Most teams jump straight into colors, gradients, and “travel vibes.” But here’s the thing. If your site looks like a postcard, people stop at the picture… not the booking button. We learned this while redesigning Arrive. Something felt off. Not a bug. Not a tech glitch. Just a design habit everyone keeps repeating without thinking. So we went the opposite way. We rebuilt the whole experience from the inside out. Structure first, visuals second. And that one shift changed everything. Here’s what we did: Clear visual hierarchy So people always know where their eyes should go. Consistent card design So every trip feels familiar and easy to compare. A primary action that stands out So users never guess what to do next. Quick access icons So exploring takes one tap, not five. Suggested actions So the interface gently nudges, instead of overwhelming. A unified icon and style system So nothing feels random or noisy. Arrive wanted: ↗ A cleaner look ↗ Faster navigation ↗ Happier users And that’s exactly what the new structure delivered. The results? Simple, but strong. ↗ More exploration ↗ More bookings ↗ A brand users trust instantly So if you want your travel website to actually work, start by avoiding the trap everyone else keeps falling into. P.S. Want to see how we built this step by step?

When designing experiences, consider shifting from a medical model to a social model approach. Focus on modality over demographics for inclusive design. **Inputs:** - Point - Tab - Touch - Speak **Outputs:** - See Only - Hear Only - See and Hear - Feel **Controls:** - Increase Size - Change Colour - Change Font - Change Layout By catering to these modalities and controls, you can ensure inclusivity for all users, regardless of their conditions or identities. Validate your design by involving users with these modalities and preferences, and gather feedback for customer satisfaction. Target improvement areas based on feedback across different aspects of your service. This is not compliance, this is inclusive CX Design, and it is what the EAA is all about.