CCDN271 Assignment 1.

The topic I chose was design4theOther90%



Design for inclusivity: a practical guide to accessible, innovative and user-centered design is a book that as a background first explains how times are changing where more people are starting to live in urban areas rather than rural (united Nations, 2005) this book then addresses its main point on how the world is now starting the approach of inclusive design where everyone is included in the thought process when making new designs. With the intention that everyone, old, male, female, crippled etc. will be able to use the product and not just the “mainstream” 20-45 years of age to provide products and services than can be used by everyone essentially expanding and making a new “mainstream” which is “barrier free” (Roger, 2007, p. 2). Although this book is communicating the idea of global design it is focusing a lot on the background of the excluded in the past and what companies are doing nowadays to include them in their design range.

In this book there is a main focus on designing for the other ninety percent as it is design not sought out for the wealthiest but inclusively and within that looking at part of that ninety percent that isn’t included in the past and how that small group is slowly being involved into it.

One of the issues in the book is looking at whether inclusive design is a marketing advantage (Roger, 2007, p. 57). With valid points being made about sales increasing in companies that switched to a more inclusive business strategy making it quite convincing of noticeable advantages to being pro inclusive design. There are examples such as product development practitioners who with being “inclusive design-aware” selectronic shower showing the significant rise in sales (Roger, 2007, p. 58) while it looks like a promising business strategy some weaknesses too this argument seem to be that there are examples that seem to be more specifically designed for the crippled or old even though in a sense it is inclusive considering non cripples and young people can use it but considering the design has mainly the thought of easy use for crippled or old people ultimately shifts it from being inclusive too specific design.

References:
Roger.C (2007) Design for inclusivity : a practical guide to accessible, innovative and user-centred design. Aldershot : Gower ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate Pub.

United Nations(2005), World Urbanizing Prospects: The 2005 Revision(New York, NY: Department Economic and social affairs, Population Division).