8.15.2. Inclusive Design Thinking Process

1. Empathize – Engage with real users

The first step in the Inclusive Design Thinking Process is to empathize with users. This means actively engaging with real people, particularly those who will use the design, to understand their experiences, challenges, and needs. By listening to their stories and feedback, designers can gain insights into what works and what doesn’t from the user’s perspective. Empathy is crucial because it lays the groundwork for creating designs that accommodate a wide range of abilities and experiences.

Imagine designing a new app for navigational purposes. Instead of creating it based on assumptions, you go out and talk to people with varying needs — like seniors who may struggle with technology or visually impaired users who rely on audio cues. By understanding their experiences, you can identify specific features that will genuinely make the app more accessible.

2. Define – Identify needs and barriers

In this step, designers take the insights gained from the empathy stage and define the actual needs of users as well as barriers they encounter. This involves synthesizing information to articulate clear problem statements that reflect user difficulties. The goal is to create a comprehensive understanding of what needs to be solved so that the design can be tailored to address these specific challenges.

If we continue with the example of the navigational app, suppose women with strollers expressed that navigating uneven sidewalks is difficult. In the defining stage, you would summarize this by stating: 'Users need a way to navigate urban spaces that accommodates strollers and provides safe, barrier-free routes.' This clear statement helps to focus your design efforts.

3. Ideate – Brainstorm UD solutions

The ideation stage encourages creativity and brainstorming. Designers generate a wide array of ideas and solutions based on the defined user needs and barriers. This step promotes thinking outside the box, where all ideas, no matter how unconventional, are welcomed. The aim is to cultivate a rich pool of potential solutions that can be explored and refined later.

Using the navigational app project again, this could involve brainstorming sessions where the team considers various features such as voice commands, augmented reality overlays that display safe routes, or social features allowing users to report problems on the roads. This step focuses on quantity and diversity of ideas, which can later be evaluated for feasibility.

4. Prototype – Design mock-ups

Prototyping involves creating tangible representations of the ideas generated in the ideation phase. These can be low-fidelity models like sketches or paper prototypes, or high-fidelity versions like interactive digital mock-ups. The purpose is to visualize concepts and make it easier to analyze and discuss the proposed designs with users and stakeholders.

Returning to the app, the prototype could be a basic clickable version of the app that showcases how a user would interact with its features. Users can test this prototype to provide feedback on its usability and functionality, helping highlight any aspects that might be confusing or ineffective.

5. Test – Use feedback to refine

The testing phase is about gathering feedback from users who interact with the prototypes. This feedback is critical for understanding how well the designs meet users' needs and expectations. Based on this feedback, designers can refine their solutions, making adjustments and improvements to ensure the final design is as inclusive and functional as possible.

After testing the navigational app prototype, users might say they had trouble accessing a specific feature meant for reporting obstacles. After reviewing this feedback, the design team can make refinements, such as simplifying the reporting steps or adding clearer instructions, ultimately enhancing user experience.

--