According to Reynhardt Uys, Chief Experience Officer, Immersion Group, adopting inclusive design is a gateway to creativity that organisations neglect at their risk.
“Before now, it was common for the industry to see accessibility and inclusion as a box within the design or process to tick somewhere, but as Covid-19 has accelerated the digital world, for many organizations, inclusive design has now moved up the list of priorities.”
Inclusive design has evolved from simply optimizing a product or service for a single customer with unique requirements to developing a customer experience that takes into account both the company’s customers and potential customers. “Knowing all your customers is critical to the development of any product or service, process and framework, whether it’s considering left-handed customers, people with disabilities, and individual preferences or aversions,” notes Uys.
The value of inclusive design is starting to be seen by forward-thinking companies not only as a means of enhancing their bottom line, but as a tangible way to cultivate positive brand sentiment, a happier consumer culture, and brand loyalty. We see a big increase in sales conversions when we make even small changes or upgrades to the customer journey. Text-to-voice, audio updates, color changes, as well as multi-channel enhancements to ensure that consumers can access companies regardless of the platform they use or their level of digital literacy, are some examples of these technologies in motion. The sense and circumstances of the consumer remain an integral part of the journey of design and development,” Uys adds.
Geoffrey Hardy, Head of Digital at Immersion Group, says modern companies can not continue to rely on old customer data and outdated processes to offer a superior customer experience across digital channels.
Organizations that fail to adopt an iterative and ongoing user-based data model risk failing their clients. The world is moving quickly, and consumers are moving faster. “Customer demands are constantly changing, and expectations are always high.” Hardy adds that with customer experience being very much at the forefront of the customer loyalty conversation, inclusive design concepts can play a critical role in ensuring that an entire customer base is taken into account.
“Businesses are losing large swathes of customers when small improvements or improvements can easily solve many different customer challenges, increase their sphere of influence and, ultimately, their bottom line.”
Although it can be overwhelming to embark on any new path, Hardy and Uys both agree that the smooth navigation of a carefully designed roadmap, combined with guidance from industry experts, can give companies a return on investment from the offset.
“Your teams will be set up for success and mitigate the risks of potential failure, late-to-market execution and budget waste by seeking the help of experts in inclusive design,” says Uys. Hardy suggests selecting a partner with an established track record as an expert in existing best practice, years of in-the-work training along with tried-and-tested real-world methodologies to ensure that every inclusive design project is timely and delivered at quality.
“Your teams will be set up for success and mitigate the risks of potential failure, late-to-market execution and budget waste by seeking the help of experts in inclusive design,” says Uys. Hardy suggests selecting a partner with an established track record as an expert in existing best practice, years of in-the-work training along with tried-and-tested real-world methodologies to ensure that every inclusive design project is timely and delivered at quality.