At the risk of giving you an all-day earworm from The Troggs (or Bill Nighy in Love Actually, if you prefer), inclusive innovation is all around us.

That might make you think of the ever-growing conversation around artificial intelligence, the latest developments in crypto or NFT, and maybe even the next step forwards in electric vehicle technology. Sure, these are some of the big innovations of our time, with the potential to change industries and leave a lasting impression on society.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as excited as anyone else about the prospect of a self-driving car that can order, pay for and collect my weekly shopping while I take a nap in the back seat.

But these kinds of headline-grabbing innovations tend to be the preserve of a privileged few until the technology becomes a great deal cheaper. And if an actual, legit autonomous vehicle is some years away, it’s safe to say an affordable version is even further down the track.

There are easier ways to make life easier. As I’ve said many times before, some of the best innovations are the simplest.

Imagine if your technology, or a solution you developed, was as ubiquitous as drop kerbs or tactile pavements - thats the power of thinking inclusively.

As part of my work helping companies to improve their innovation practices, particularly in relation to inclusive innovation, I developed a card set to help bring some structure to what can feel like a slightly mercurial concept.

As well as many instances of exclusion, which go un-noticed even when they’re slamming us in the face, there are plenty of examples in our everyday lives which we don’t notice, but which are perfect illustrations of how inclusive design thinking has improved things for a wider range of people.

Automatic doors

Does anyone know how to use regular doors now? With sensors, push buttons and wider opening, automatic doors have been a key access innovation for people in wheelchairs or with other mobility challenges. They’re not perfect – some don’t respond quickly enough and might not have a ‘smart’ enough brain to make sure a person has safely cleared the door before closing, but these could be additional areas for further innovation.

Tactile pavements

The dimpled areas of slabbing around a pedestrian crossing feel very different underfoot in comparison to normal pavement surfaces. This helps people with visual impairments to safely navigate road crossings. If you don’t need them, you’ve probably barely noticed them since they’ve been around for many years – but they’re all part of making public spaces more accessible.

Drop kerbs

Pavement kerbs usually have a section which ‘drops’ to road level, making it easier for people using pushchairs, wheelchair users or people with other mobility issues to move around safely.

The cards give you the chance to look at existing situations through a new lens and come up with different ways of approaching them, or new ideas for improvements to your product or service.

You don’t have to look far to find things which could be made better and more inclusive – healthcare, HR, digital technologies are ripe with opportunities. You might have noticed I’m on a bit of a mission to make inclusive design an integral part of how services and products are created.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. It absolutely needs some more thought and input at the early planning stages, but at the very least you can expect to reach a bigger audience (4x bigger, according to recent research).

Spotting opportunities

Imagine if your technology, or a solution you developed, was as ubiquitous as drop kerbs or tactile pavements - thats the power of thinking inclusively.

There are some very revealing exercises you can adopt to get a head-start on making inclusivity part of your design process.

Here are three worth considering:

Listening circles

Listening circles are direct, (usually) in-person group discussions which provide the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others and get a deep understanding of how products and services can better meet their needs. It’s important to note that the idea of a single group of users is slightly over-simplifying it. People have complex and varied backgrounds, irrespective of singular characteristics, so acknowledging your assumptions can lead to a better conversation and richer outcomes.

Nothing beats really taking the time to get the perspective of diverse groups first hand.

Empathic modelling

Empathic modelling is about using wearable devices to replicate certain experiences. For example, you might have seen pregnancy suits being used to show how mobility, comfort and tiredness can limit how pregnant women are able to access certain public services like transport or navigate busy retail spaces. There is also a version of this which simulate how visual impairment and other conditions can make the simplest scenarios much harder. Getting this kind of insight means designers are more likely to consider more diverse user needs at an earlier stage. A word of caution though – living with part of someone’s experience for a short time is not the same as being in their shoes day-in, day-out and wider experiential impacts beyond interaction with the functionality of your technology can often be missed.

Journey mapping

This involves visualising, in detail, the complete user experience. Starting with the initial contact with the product or service, and extending to long-term use, journey mapping helps you to pinpoint areas of friction, obstacles and areas for a more positive experience for people from all backgrounds. Working with users to ask questions, probe and validate to develop a robust journey map is, by far, the most effective approach.

These measures all take time. It would be easy to ignore them.

Good innovation also takes time. But, like all aspects of design, huge opportunities in terms of market share, innovation and, exceptional products and services emerge through time exploring things in depth.

Defankle are working to find ways to make better inclusive design and innovation more accessible. If you’re interested in getting involved in the work we’re doing, please get in touch.