Inclusion
The Best Technology is Inclusive (part II)
In our recent post, we explored inclusive work environments that foster success. Key principles of inclusive design are crucial.
The Best Technology is Inclusive and Here’s Why (part I)
At Tekton, we advocate for inclusivity, embracing diverse perspectives for success, innovation, and creativity.
Tekton
Feb 13, 2024
At Tekton, we define “inclusive” to mean having a work environment where people feel comfortable and confident to be themselves, a place where we can acknowledge our differences and actively value every opinion, idea, or perspective shared. We’re about creating a culture that embraces diversity and inclusivity. As the diversity and inclusion expert Verna Myers puts it: “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”
We believe the best technology and the best companies are inclusive. They embrace all genders, sexualities, ethnicities, religions, ages, disabilities, and backgrounds. Ethnically diverse companies are 36% more likely to outperform their competitors financially, and companies with 30% more women in executive roles are more likely to outperform companies where this percentage is less than that. Not to mention, employee retention rates and problem-solving skills are through the roof.
Evidence shows that inclusivity, be it an inclusive company or inclusive technology, creates ripple effects that make the upfront effort well worth it.
What inclusivity frameworks already exist?
Currently, the best known framework for accessibility is the Web Accessibility Guidelines (WACG). It ensures that interfaces have simple, direct, and quick interactions for everyone. While this is hugely important, inclusive design goes far beyond accessibility alone; it also means designing an empathic and conscious solution. It’s a mindset we must adopt to ensure that services and products (both online and offline) are open to everyone.
How to Design Inclusivity into Digital Services and Products
To get the best outcome from a design, it is important to be mindful about inclusion from the very early stages in the design process. Here are a few tips:
Tip #1: Start by considering all barriers different groups might encounter while using your product or service. This can be done by checking user profiles that commonly face barriers during any workshops with clients, stakeholders, and team members.
Tip #2: During the design process, look for gaps or pain points throughout the entire user experience. Books like Mapping Experiences by Jim Kalbach, are great to support this kind of visualization.
Tip #3: Run a research phase that includes participants that represent users and extreme users.
Tip #4: Constantly test the product or service and do iterations. Keep in mind that a small tweak can improve the experience enormously.
Tip #5: When designing a website, consider always making it responsive, as the designer’s equipment might not match the user’s.
Tip #6: Make sure the content is scalable. There are many people who experience low vision conditions like myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and others.
Learn More
If you would like to know more about inclusive design for either products or services (online and offline), you can check out these websites: