What's a key principle in creating an inclusive UX design?

Question

In the quest to craft user experiences that resonate with everyone, we've gathered insights from 11 industry experts, including UX design experts and Founders. From the importance of integrating inclusivity early on to seeking diverse user perspectives, these leaders offer their key principles for creating an inclusive UX design.

Olha Bahaieva · Answer

When I create UX/UI design solutions, I always think about inclusivity. What does inclusive design mean, and how do you create it?When products are created that are easy to use by totally different people, we can call it an inclusive product.Inclusive design means that people of different locations, ages, or any other differences can understand how to use products with ease. The best example of such a thing is Google, which was designed for all people in the world.Inclusive design includes high standards for accessibility, including voice-over, high contrast, typography, and other principles. So when a user struggles to read the content, it's possible to listen to it. If there are issues with colors, some specific modes can be enabled.When a designer creates a product from scratch, inclusivity should be considered from the very beginning. It impacts how features will be designed and how people will interact with them.What is more important, designers need to test their solutions with different people to ensure that the concept will work for everyone. Designers should avoid using the people segmentation principle when designing inclusive products.Design solutions should rely on simplicity and a fast understanding of how to use each feature in the product. This is the main principle of inclusive design.

Sergii Filonenko · Answer

When creating an inclusive UX design, you should consider two important things. First, inclusive design doesn’t happen by accident, so you should start thinking about UX inclusivity at the early stages of creating a design system. It will allow you to foresee the challenges of as many people as possible and integrate the necessary design decisions into the product as deeply as possible.Second, showing empathy during design development is a must. Dive deep into users’ needs, capabilities, and requests. Dedicate some time and talk to real people to learn more about their users’ pains and how they can interact with your interface. For example, is it essential to add alternative text for images, or will its absence not affect the user experience? Knowing the answers to such questions will help you design a genuinely inclusive user experience tailored to the specifics of your product.

Roop Reddy · Answer

By putting ourselves in the shoes of diverse users, we can understand their unique needs, preferences, and challenges. Conduct thorough research, gather feedback from users of different backgrounds, and design with inclusivity in mind.You can also employ universal design principles to ensure accessibility for users with disabilities. This enhances the overall usability and effectiveness of our products and services.

Alan Carr · Answer

I'd say a fundamental principle in crafting an inclusive UX design is ensuring that all users, regardless of their abilities, preferences, or contexts, have an equitable experience. This entails avoiding the exclusion or disadvantage of any user group by offering various means of interaction and engagement.For instance, if a platform includes video content, it's essential to provide features like captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions to accommodate users who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or visually impaired. By providing such accommodations, we demonstrate our commitment to valuing and respecting all users, fostering a sense of inclusion and participation in the design process.Not only that, UX design strives to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and able to engage fully. It's about acknowledging and addressing the diverse needs and experiences of users to ensure that no one is left behind or marginalized. Embracing it, we not only enhance the usability and accessibility of our designs but also enrich the overall user experience.

Craig Focht · Answer

When you're creating an inclusive user experience (UX) design, a key thing to keep in mind is to give everyone equivalent experiences. When you come up with different methods for users to interact, it's important to make sure that these experiences feel the same. Just because a design meets accessibility rules doesn't always mean it's easy to use or gives everyone a similar experience.Take this as an example: Closed captions might meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but if you're really thinking about inclusion, you need to make these captions useful for the people you're designing for. To provide a similar experience for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, you might need to offer various playback speeds to match their understanding of the language and have different ways to present transcripts and captions so they can complete tasks more efficiently.

Matthew Montez · Answer

In the evolving landscape of digital design that I've navigated through as the founder of MBC Group, a principle that stands out in creating inclusive UX design is the deep integration of empathy into the design process.This isn't just about technical compliance with accessibility standards, but about truly understanding the diverse spectrum of user experiences. Reflecting on the development of AiDen, our intelligent AI chatbot, serving as a testament to this approach, we meticulously designed its interface to be intuitively navigable for users with various abilities, emphasizing the provision of a seamless interaction across different platforms.Our design philosophy at MBC Group extends beyond the visual appeal, focusing heavily on functionality and user-friendliness because we understand that a product’s success in the market is dependent on its accessibility and inclusivity. For instance, in enhancing the GUI modernization process, we prioritized ensuring that digital interactions remain coherent and consistent for users with different needs, including those navigating with assistive technologies. By continuously testing and iterating based on a broad spectrum of user feedback, we've managed to identify and improve design inconsistencies, thus fostering an inclusive digital environment.One vivid example comes from a project where we revamped the UX design for a Denver-based client’s website. Our approach involved detailed research into the target audience’s preferences and behaviors, including users with disabilities. We integrated features like voice navigation and alternative text for images, catering to visually impaired users.The feedback from this initiative was overwhelmingly positive, showcasing how such considerations can drastically enhance the user experience for a broader audience. These experiences underscore the importance of inclusivity in UX design, not as an afterthought, but as a foundational principle guiding the creative process. Through the adoption of AI-driven solutions like AiDen, we're setting new benchmarks in how businesses can leverage technology to make digital experiences more accessible and engaging for everyone.

Kevin Watts · Answer

From the beginning stages of founding Raincross and steering it toward becoming a leader in the digital marketing sphere, a paramount principle I've embraced in creating inclusive UX design is the diligent application of a strategic, layered approach to digital accessibility. This encompasses not merely adhering to the basic accessibility standards but embedding accessibility deeply within the ethos of every project we undertake. For instance, during the development of an enhanced e-commerce platform for a client, we meticulously worked on ensuring that the product images were not only high-quality but also paired with detailed alt-text descriptions, effectively serving users with visual impairments.In the realm of SEO and digital advertising, where the intricacies of user interaction with content can significantly influence outcomes, we've learned to rigorously apply testing protocols. These include A/B testing for varying levels of accessibility considerations, such as color contrast for users with color blindness. For another client’s campaign, after identifying a segment of their target audience included a significant number of individuals with color vision deficiency, we shifted our design palette to accommodate this, resulting in improved engagement rates from this demographic.Moreover, on numerous website redesign projects, we've prioritized responsive design not just for the purpose of mobile adaptability but as a cornerstone for inclusivity. Responsive design ensures that users, regardless of the device they use or their ability to navigate traditionally designed websites, can access information and services seamlessly. By analyzing user behavior data across devices, we identified and rectified barriers encountered by users with motor impairments, making navigation significantly easier and more intuitive for them.By focusing on the strategic integration of such principles into my work at Raincross, I’ve witnessed the impact of a truly inclusive UX design. It not only broadens the reach and effectiveness of our digital solutions but also ensures that our innovations contribute positively to creating an accessible web for everyone. This holistic approach, grounded in the continual pursuit of accessibility excellence and inclusivity, characterizes the essence of modern UX design in the digital marketing landscape.

Satya Singh · Answer

Sensory engagement is a fundamental design principle for inclusive user experiences. Through the integration of diverse sensory components such as audio, images, and haptic input, designers can effectively serve a larger user base. We applied this idea for a customer in the healthcare sector at our design firm. We updated their mobile app to include tactile feedback for improved navigation, high-contrast images for people who are color-blind, and audio descriptions for visually impaired users. User engagement rose by 33%, and customer satisfaction ratings soared. In addition to improving user experience, sensory engagement demonstrates a dedication to accessibility and inclusivity in design.

Oshen Davidson · Answer

A key principle in creating an inclusive UX design is focusing on accessibility to ensure the design is viable across all users. Prior to production, it's important to conduct usability testing across a diverse range of users, including those with disabilities, in order to identify any barriers or challenges in the user experience. This could include adding descriptive alt text for images, captions, transcriptions for media content, improving screen reader accessibility, or changing typefaces, color schemes, or font sizes. A helpful tip to maintain inclusivity in the early stages of your UX design is to stay up-to-date with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and incorporate them into your design process during ideation.

Adam Long · Answer

From my 15 years of experience as an animator and motion designer at Adam Long Creative, where I've crafted video content for a diverse clientele that includes tech, SaaS, and e-commerce brands, I believe a key principle in creating inclusive UX design is integrating an element of storytelling that resonates with a broad audience. This involves going beyond visual appeal and focusing on narrative; when we produce explainer videos or onboarding content, we always aim for simplicity while conveying the unique experiences and perspectives of various user segments.For instance, when working with a SaaS client, we designed animated videos to introduce a software feature. One example was targeted at non-native English speakers, so we utilized visual cues and clear, jargon-free language in the narrative, which resulted in a 66% average increase in inbound leads. The use of animation allowed us to visually demonstrate complex functionalities without relying on text-heavy explanations, making it universally understandable regardless of the viewer's language proficiency.In another project for a mobile app promo, we created videos that incorporated sign language interpretations alongside our animations, directly addressing the deaf community and those hard of hearing. This not only increased app downloads by an average of 270%, but also showcased our client's commitment to inclusivity.These experiences underscore the importance of thoughtful, narrative-based design that actively includes and values diverse user experiences. By utilizing data that reflects a variety of user interactions, we continuously refine our content to ensure that it is not just seen but also felt and understood by a wide audience, making inclusivity a core aspect of our creative process.

Jasper Stoddard · Answer

A key principle in creating an inclusive UX design is considering a wide range of user perspectives during the research and design process. This means actively seeking out feedback from users of diverse ages, cultures, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds during your user research step. Once you have gathered this information, consider directly incorporating it into the design process—even if the design elements are only requested by a small handful of user groups, adding them will be a big step in making your UX design more inclusive. By being well-informed and designing for a diverse range of experiences and needs, UX designers can create more accessible, and in turn, more universally appealing products. This approach helps in identifying and mitigating potential biases during the creative process, ensuring more inclusive UX designs.

How Do You Create An Inclusive UX Design?

Table of Contents

How Do You Create An Inclusive UX Design?

Consider Inclusivity from the Start

Learn About Customer Pain Points

Embrace Empathy and Universal Design

Ensure Equitable User Experiences

Provide Equivalent Interaction Methods

Embed Empathy in Design Processes

Adopt a Layered Accessibility Approach

Incorporate Diverse Sensory Elements

Stay Up to Date With WCAG

Integrate Storytelling for Broad Appeal

Seek Diverse User Perspectives

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