Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity in Digital Products: The Responsibility of Product Designers

It’s often the case that we can make technology that empowers us, but we can be blind to how technology can also exclude people. In the early 1990s, during the rise of the internet, there were no laws that required tech companies to make their products accessible to people with disabilities. Today, when accessibility has become a critical aspect of design, there is still a lack of laws, guidelines, and standards that specify how to make products accessible.

While we’re making great strides and developing new tools for inclusion, we still have a long way to go. This article explores why more companies need to be intentional about designing for inclusion and how you can help.
What does it mean to be inclusive?

To be inclusive, a product must consider and include the needs of all people who use it. This can be done in several different ways. It can involve providing clear instructions and support documentation, removing barriers that prevent people from using the product, or changing an interface so that it can be used more efficiently by people with disabilities.

For example, a product designer created a tool to help people keep track of their finances. The product designer, however, had a cognitive impairment that left the tool inaccessible. This led many people to comment on how the tool needed to be put to better use. They needed to include a lot of important information, and the product designer was in a position to make changes to make the tool more useful for people.
The key here is that the product designer realized that their tool might limit people’s ability to use it. This insight led to changes that made the tool more accessible.

Why is it so important to be inclusive in digital products?

As we’ve discussed, making sure your product is accessible can be crucial for people with disabilities. But, inclusive design can also benefit the health and well-being of the entire population.

For example, people with limited internet access are less likely to have a bank account or credit card. Better access to these tools can improve people’s financial literacy, making them more aware of available resources and better able to make healthy financial choices.

Inclusive design also leads to more efficient use of resources. For example, if someone using a wheelchair can use your product, they might be able to complete their task in half the time, which means that your company doesn’t have to hire an extra person, which can be costly.

How can product designers make digital products more inclusive?

There are a variety of ways that product designers can ensure that their products are inclusive. Some of these include:

Make sure you thoroughly understand all potential users and how they might be affected by your product.
Ensure that you understand the needs of each user group and how you might fulfill them. For example, if employees are using your product to track expenses, you need to make sure you can use the same data format they’re using to export and import their data efficiently.

When creating a new feature, including people with disabilities in the design process can help you spot potential issues before they become problems.

Consider including people with disabilities when making a change to an existing product. This will ensure that it is accessible from the start rather than waiting until it is too late.

Be flexible when building your product. Flexibility allows you to account for different needs and ensure that you’re meeting them as best as possible.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. In some cases, you might need to get a disability-related expert to help you test certain features. In other cases, you might need to hire an accessibility consultant to help you make your product accessible. An accessibility expert or inclusivity-focused designer can help you build a better product and provide insights that will pay dividends for everyone involved.

Key techniques to consider in the inclusive design process

When building a product, you can use several techniques to ensure that it is inclusive. These techniques can help you to account for different types of disabilities, understand needs and expectations, and ensure that everyone is included and understood.
When you’re building a product, make sure to:

• Be aware of how users might be affected by your product. This includes things like the user interface, the tech stack, the content, and the information architecture.

• Consider alternate or augmentative means of accessing your product when necessary. This includes devices like voice assistants, keyboards, or screen readers.

• Make sure that you include people with disabilities in the early stages of the design process. This will allow you to spot potential issues and make adjustments to the product.

Conclusion

One of the most incredible benefits of being an entrepreneur is building products that you believe will improve the world. When you do this well, your products can be life-changing for people.

To do this well, you need to be conscious that you are responsible for building accessible products. You have a responsibility to build inclusive products.

To build inclusive products, you must consider how your product might affect people with disabilities. This includes understanding how your product might impact them, removing any potential barriers that might prevent them from using it, and having them in the design process as early as possible.

We need to think about how we can build accessible products and make them inclusive. This mindset will not only help foster a sense of community, but it will also help promote the health and well-being of all people who use your product.