Understanding the importance of inclusion in design. A review of Kat Holmes “Mismatch: How inclusion shapes design”
“design … shapes our ability to access, participate in, and contribute to the world.” (Kat Holmes)
One of the key drivers in understanding the creation of neurodivergent inclusive learning environments, is about understanding the concept of inclusion and what it means from a design perspective. In Kat Holmes book, “Mismatch: How inclusion shapes design,” Holmes provides an insightful, in-depth discussion on the importance of understanding inclusion and its fundamental impact on design. Initial focus is on the importance of defining what “exclusion” is, and its impact on human connectedness, to gain insight into understanding the concept of inclusion. Holmes encapsulates this idea in stating:
“Core elements of our identity are formed by our encounters of inclusion and exclusion. We decide where we belong and where we’re outsiders. It shapes our sense of value and what we believe that we can contribute. Exclusion, and the social rejection that often accompanies it, are universal human experiences. We all know how it feels when we don’t fit in .”
To draw on the notion of inclusion and design, Holmes uses the example of a playground. As a child in a playground, if there is a barrier to playing on something, a child will adapt their play to work around the barrier. However, sometimes adaption is not possible. It is this that leads to a child not being able to either access the playground or be included in play with other children who may not have encountered or being limited by this barrier. This is exclusion.
From this Holmes asks to consider the following questions:
What makes society accessible to some but not all people?
What happens when a designed object rejects us? i.e. a door will not open?
When we are excluded by these designs, how does it shape our belonging in the world?
How do we feel when we can’t open a door? Frustrasted, impatient, annoyed? Imagine having this as a barrier to greet you every day, or even multiple times a day. The burden that this must impose would be mind-blowing, limiting, and this is one small feature or interaction in a myriad of interactions.
Inclusion, Holmes highlights
“… complements design as a way to align what a solution can be with what a person needs it to be.”
As a reader, this can be related to easily in thinking about how spaces may have been designed to be aesthetically pleasing, however turn out it be functionally impractical. It may look great to the eye, but the use of the space becomes so easily redundant as doesn’t meet the functionality brief.
Holmes discusses that a design decision is based on bias. A bias based on a person’s or people’s interaction and experience. To illustrate this notion, an example of public bathrooms is used, and Holmes asks to consider the following questions:
A wave flush button can everyone find it, use it?
Are the door locks and toilet seats reachable for someone who is under four feet tall or seven feet tall?
What physical features are required to access sinks and faucets?
Do the automated soap dispensers’ response to people with a wide range of skin tones?
Is it a safe space for people across a range of genders?
How well does the space work for children and their parents?
How well does it work for people with luggage?
For a person with a broken ankle?
From this Holmes draws on the importance of the inclusion of diverse representation of users to achieve the designing of an inclusive solution by remarking:
“For designers, one important way to change invisibility is to seek out the perspectives of people who are, or risk being, the most excluded by a solution. Often, the people who carry the greatest burden of exclusion also have the greatest insight into how to shift design towards inclusion.”
From a design perspective 3 skills that Homles identifies to achieving inclusive design are:
Identify ability biases and mismatched interactions between people and world.
Create a diversity of ways to participate in an experience.
Design for interdependence and bring complementary skills together.
Overall, what is evident is that inclusion in relation to design is about understanding the design requirements from a diverse range of user experiences and expectations. It is about creating outcomes based on user voice and feedback, which are fluid, dynamic, with the option to review and adapt as required.
“Mismatch: How inclusion shapes design,” provides so many more discussion points and thoughts than is covered here. It is a thought provoking, easy to understand read. It is a starting point to get the conversation going about inclusion and its impact on design. For further resources, there are fantastic you tube presentations given by Kat Holmes on this topic which can be viewed on the links provided below: