Understanding inclusive design education

There is a need for responsible engineering design to accommodate the diverse user requirements that come with the global phenomenon of population ageing. Inclusive design is a design philosophy that considers the needs of a wide diversity of users within the design process, therefore is an approach that can address these diverse user requirements. However, uptake of inclusive design in industry has been limited, with designer awareness of the approach and its associated methods and tools noted as barriers to the uptake of the approach. This research aims to understand the current approach to ID education within UK Higher Education Institutions, utilising interviews with design educators and a student survey. The study concluded that the teaching of inclusive design varied between institutions with some conflicting responses from academics and students relating to methods, tools and processes taught. This study recommends that greater transparency should be encouraged between universities to encourage the development of a cohesive ID education strategy, in addition to the development of a framework to aid the implementation of appropriate ID methods and tools within the design process.