1.6.2. Design Goals

The design goals for Universal Design focus on creating environments that are usable and beneficial for everyone, regardless of their abilities or needs.

Universal Design is guided by specific design goals that aim to improve accessibility and usability across all environments. These goals ensure that the design process considers diverse user groups and their varying needs. The principles of Universal Design encompass several key areas of focus.

Imagine a public park designed for everyone. The pathways are smooth for strollers and wheelchairs, signage uses simple language and symbols for all ages, and there are seating areas with shade for rest. This is how Universal Design makes spaces more inclusive.

Design Goals: • Avoid segregation or stigmatization of any users. • Provide the same means of use for all users — identical whenever possible; equivalent when not. • Ensure privacy, security, and safety are equally available to all users.

Equitable Use emphasizes that products and environments should be designed to be usable by people with varying abilities without segregation. For example, instead of having a separate entrance for disabled users, everyone enters through the same accessible doorway. This approach helps to prevent the stigma associated with specialized accommodations.

Consider an automatic door that opens for everyone. The design allows both individuals with disabilities and those fully mobile to enter easily, demonstrating equitable use. No one feels excluded or singled out.

Design Goals: • Provide choice in methods of use. • Accommodate right- or left-handed access and use. • Facilitate user accuracy and precision. • Adapt to the user’s pace.

Flexibility in Use means that designs accommodate different preferences and abilities. This includes considerations like left and right-handed users, ensuring that everyone can interact with features comfortably and effectively. For example, adjustable mechanisms or options for usage can allow diverse combinations of needs.

Think of kitchen tools like spatulas and knives designed for both right and left-handed cooks. This flexibility helps everyone feel at home in the kitchen, no matter their handedness.

Design Goals: • Eliminate unnecessary complexity. • Be consistent with user expectations and intuition. • Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills. • Provide feedback to the user.

The goal of Simple and Intuitive Use is to make products easy to understand and use for everyone, regardless of their experience or skill level. This could mean using clear signage and simple instructions to help users navigate products effectively.

Consider a smartphone with icons that signify functions like calling or texting. Even someone who's never used a smartphone before can understand what to do just by looking at the intuitive design.

Design Goals: • Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information. • Provide adequate contrast between essential information and surroundings. • Maximize legibility of essential information. • Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easy to give instructions or directions).

Perceptible Information focuses on ensuring that critical information is communicated in various forms, so everyone can access it. This can include visual, auditory, and tactile signals that help users comprehend information regardless of their sensory abilities.

Think of a crosswalk that not only has visual signals but also sound alerts for pedestrians. This caters to both sighted and visually impaired individuals, making sure everyone knows when it's safe to cross.

Design Goals: • Arrange elements to minimize hazards and errors. • Provide warnings of hazards and errors. • Provide fail-safe features. • Discourage unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance.

Tolerance for Error means that designs should be forgiving and prevent accidents or errors, enhancing safety for all users. This could mean having features like non-slip surfaces or clear warnings about risks within a environment.

Picture a kitchen equipped with non-slip mats and rounded counter edges. These elements help to prevent injuries, acknowledging that mistakes can occur, and offering safety measures for all users.

Design Goals: • Allow user to maintain a neutral body position. • Use reasonable operating forces. • Minimize repetitive actions. • Minimize sustained physical effort.

Low Physical Effort ensures that designs do not exhaust users physically. This could be achieved through ergonomic features that consider how people naturally interact with their environment, enabling efficient movement and less strain.

Think about lever-style door handles that require less force to turn compared to round knobs. This design choice reduces the effort needed, making it easier for everyone to use the doors.

Design Goals: • Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user. • Make reach to all components comfortable for all users. • Accommodate variations in hand and grip size. • Provide adequate space for assistive devices or personal assistance.

The Size and Space for Approach and Use design goal highlights the importance of having sufficient room and access for all individuals, including those using mobility aids. This ensures that everyone can effectively use and interact with their environment without barriers.

Consider an accessible bathroom stall designed spaciously for someone in a wheelchair. The extra space allows for easier navigation and personal assistance, which contributes to a more inclusive environment.

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