Inclusive design aims to meet the needs of as many people as possible. It goes beyond accessibility, which focuses on removing barriers for people with disabilities. Inclusive design considers the full range of human diversity: age, gender, language, culture, ability, and circumstance. A curb cut is a classic example. Designed for wheelchair users, it also helps parents with strollers, travelers with luggage, and delivery workers with carts. The principle is simple. Design for the edges and you improve things for everyone.

The approach has practical benefits. Products that work for a wider audience reach a larger market. They also tend to be more robust and easier to use. Microsoft's Inclusive Design Toolkit, published in 2016, popularized the idea in the tech industry. It encourages designers to consider permanent, temporary, and situational limitations. A person may be blind permanently, have an eye infection temporarily, or be in bright sunlight situationally. All three affect how they use a screen. Designing for the permanent case often solves all three.

What inclusive design covers

• Physical and cognitive abilities.
• Age and life stage.
• Language and cultural background.
• Context of use, like noise or lighting.

Inclusive design is not a checklist. It is a mindset that asks who is being left out and what it would take to bring them in.