Inclusive Design: Imperative And Opportunity

26/05/2010

By Liz Williams, Head of Inclusion, BT

It is a well known fact that as a nation we are getting older. The post-war baby boomers are reaching retirement and the 50-plus generation is set to grow by more than six million in the next 25 years. With age, people change physically and cognitively; this often involves multiple minor impairments in eyesight, hearing, dexterity, mobility and memory. But why are the demographics interesting to business?

Importantly these physical changes affect the way that people use products and services. For example, dexterity issues make it difficult to open packaging and...

...visual impairments make small print hard to read. By not thinking about these issues when designing, we automatically exclude.

There is also a clear market opportunity. Annual expenditure of 65+ households is estimated to be approximately 97 billion pounds yet research from Age UK suggests that this is a group that feels disenfranchised by business. Forty six percent of over 65s agree with the statement, 'business and retailers have little interest in the consumer needs of older consumers.'


What is inclusive design?

Inclusive design is creating products and services that can be used by the widest audience possible by approaching the design from the perspective of consumers that need the greatest help. Inclusive design is not about creating specialist products but rather ensuring that the design considers the needs of people of all ages and abilities. By meeting the needs of those that are often excluded, inclusive design improves the product experience for everyone.

For the past five years BT has worked to embed inclusive design principles with real commercial benefit. In phones like the BT Freestyle 750, we have created products that are functional and desirable but also cater for... continued on page two >

 

 

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