Inclusive Design and Principles for More Accessible Digital Products

What is inclusive design?

"Exclusion happens when we solve problems using our own biases. We seek out exclusions, and use them as opportunities to create new and better experiences." — Microsoft Inclusive Design

Building inclusive digital solutions means looking at the experience as a whole: who is using the product and how they interact with it. When we think about people, it's important to remember that everyone has limitations, and those limitations can be permanent, temporary, or situational.

Permanent limitations

These may include different types of disabilities, such as cognitive, auditory, mobility, speech, or visual impairments. Age-related changes that happen over time also fall into this category.

Temporary limitations

These affect us for a limited period of time. A sore throat caused by the flu, for example, may make it uncomfortable to speak, turning something as simple as answering a phone call into a challenge.

Situational limitations

These are influenced by external factors. Using a phone outdoors under strong sunlight can make content difficult to see on screen, even with brightness at 100%.

Keeping these scenarios in mind, digital accessibility and inclusive design work together to create better experiences. There is no single best practice that solves every possible use case.

"If we use our own abilities as a baseline, we make things that are easy for some people to use, but difficult for everyone else." — Microsoft Inclusive Design

Building more accessible products

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are based on four core principles:

1. Perceivable

   Information presented in the product should be clear and perceivable to all users. This includes text readability, color contrast, media usage, and clear visual distinction between interface elements.

2. Operable

   All users should be able to operate and interact with the interface. Navigation should support keyboard and assistive technology, allow enough time to complete actions, and avoid creating unnecessary barriers.

3. Understandable

   Content and interactions should be easy to understand. Users should always know what is happening in the interface and what is expected of them next, without having to guess.

4. Robust

   Content should work across different devices, browsers, and assistive technologies. When creating new components, it's important to clearly define their name, role, and value.

In practice, it's not always possible to meet every accessibility requirement throughout a product's lifecycle. There will always be opportunities to improve and revisit decisions.

According to Microsoft Inclusive Design, accessibility is an attribute, while inclusive design is a method. Inclusive design helps us recognize exclusion, learn from diversity, and think more broadly. No matter the scale, applying these principles leads to stronger, more thoughtful digital products.