Inclusivity is the practice of including people who may otherwise be excluded or marginalised. Designers often aim to design products that can be accessed by as large a market as possible and, because of this, they take into consideration areas such as size, shape, disabilities and culture.

Inclusive design is an approach to designing that is user-centred. It should put the user at the heart of the designing process with an aim of ensuring the products are accessible to everyone. Designs should be:

• inclusive - can be used by everyone safely and easily and have little restrictions of use due to cultural differences or circumstances
• convenient - can be used by everyone with ease
• flexible - the user experience can be adapted to suit individuals
• welcoming - no design barriers to a product’s use

To ensure inclusivity is at the forefront of the design process, considerations should include:

• colour - the choice of colours shouldn’t offend cultures or prevent the product from being used by people with colour blindness
• signage - the text and symbols used should be universal and have no language barriers
• function - the product should be easy for the user to use, working as it was designed to
• material choice - the materials used should not offend people or cultures, eg avoiding using animal products where other options might be available
• user interface - the parts the user will interact with should be clear and easy to use, eg colour, size and layout of text