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Leina Elgohari's Essay
The User Experience Community can support the future of sustainability. by helping to bridge the divide between User Centered Design and Inclusive Design. In many respects User Centered Design runs against Inclusive Design as its processes are geared towards the establishment of a few core user groups. In so doing, User Centered Design practices may not capture all or as many potential target user groups as possible. Reducing barriers to participation is achieved by including the needs of users from diverse cultures, nationalities, abilities, age groups, etc.
The key is to define and manage an "inclusive" representative sample population. This should start from the scope of the project. Evangelizing and talking to stakeholders is also an intrinsic part of this process. Once defined, it is important to test early, to test often, and to test with as many diverse user groups as possible throughout the design lifecycle. The data from these tests will help designers establish a universality of factors applicable to most users. Through the design journey (and further testing) delineating from those generalized factors to more specific ones will shape the product / service.
This may cause initial run costs to the environment and business. However, these will be outweighed by the following longer term social, environmental, business & strategic benefits:
- The resulting product / service will increase the likelihood of meeting the short and longer term needs of a wider, more "inclusive", user group,
- If user needs are met then turnover of product / service will be low,
- For the business it is an important brand building exercise that will increase loyalty amongst its users.
In creating sustainable products / services, the business can set the standard for future designs, and thereby secure a positive legacy.
Read Tim's essay | Read Dave's essay
Read Amy's essay | Read Arpana's essay | Read Brian's essay | Read Guiomar's essay
Read Leina's essay | Read Marisa's essay | Read Premjit's essay | Read Rhys's essay
Read Scott's essay | Read Tara's essay | Read Jimmy's essay
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CEO Eric Schaffer keynotes at EISE 09 in London Oct. 30.
"Sorry Engineers, but Sustainability Means Lifestyle Change
(And only the psychologists can save us)" |
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