Design and Activism:
Design activism is the intersection of design and social activism. It includes the few commonalities that both design and activism have. Essentially, both design and activism are trying to solve problems. They both aim to create a better world and positively impact people.
Think about any recent social movement; the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, for instance, aimed to highlight the systemic flaws of discrimination and racial inequality. It is a movement that fights to bring justice to people of colour so that they’re included and treated as equals in society. Social movements like these aim to eliminate the differences to create equal societies that include everyone and treat them alike. Every campaign essentially aims toward inclusion and creating an equitable, harmonious social environment.
How to practice Activism as a Designer?
To practice Activism as a designer, one must start by identifying societal issues facilitated by or translated into the built environment. For instance, gender disparity is a crucial social issue that has affected several spheres of human existence. The built environment has the form of primary anthropometric considerations based on a masculine physique. Another example would be the bifurcation of public toilets as men’s and women’s, excluding non-binary people from the scope of review. One can come up with several such examples, that prove how common spaces of everyday use aren’t inclusive.
For designers to work as activists, they must first understand problems from the user’s perspective. Getting to the root of the problem, learning about the experiences of a diverse group of people, and analyzing the flaws in design is the way to go. Inclusive Activism starts with the inclusion of people’s experiences and feedback. The inclusive design takes a bottom-up approach over a top-down approach. Activist designers need to shift away from user-centred design to human-centred design and expand their horizons toward inclusive methods. But, let’s first look at the true what all-inclusive design entails.
Accessible, Universal, and Inclusive Design:
The terms accessible design, universal design, and inclusive design are often used interchangeably. However, they do not mean the same. Accessible design lies at the lowest end of the spectrum and refers to a design that is accessible to all. It takes into consideration the diverse forms of disabilities and creates spaces that can be used by everyone.
Universal design, on the other hand, is collectively usable by all without having to create specialized spaces for the differently abled. It has broader applications than accessible design. Universal design ensures that the spaces are used to the greatest extent possible by all people without differentiation between the abled and disabled.
The inclusive design takes a contradictory approach by putting disenfranchised and underrepresented people at the top of the dynamic. It strives to solve its problems first, creating holistic solutions that fit the needs of every culture, gender, colour, and identity.
Inclusive Design Activism:
Inclusive design activism focuses on diversity and strives to create equality through design. It takes into consideration the people who were otherwise excluded from the systemic dynamic, identify their needs, and creates solutions that are a response to their needs. And, it does this not by highlighting the differences but by focusing on the similarities between humans.
Inclusive design activism doesn’t just advocate the creation of inclusive designs; it aims to bring about real change in people’s experiences. It doesn’t stop at universal accessibility. Although the inclusive design movement started with the actions of disability activists, the modern movement is far more elaborate. It considers a much broader sect of people, defining them based on their gender, age, ethnicity, etc.
Need for Inclusive Design Activism:
David Berman, in his book The Design Activists’ Handbook: How to Change the World (Or at Least Your Part of It) with Socially Conscious Design, questions the role of designers in doing good for society, and why designers must put their best skills in use to create change. It addresses the uncomfortable aspects of human representation in everyday life and analyzes the designers’ role in promoting inequality. The book urges designers to think about the future of civilization as a common design project, and how they with their creativity and persuasiveness can trigger a change in society.
There is a need for designers to acknowledge the plural nature of humans and create barrier-free spaces that welcome all. The design of built spaces should aim to eliminate discrimination from society by understanding and targeting the loopholes of the system. Designers must be blatant with their choices for justice over discrimination, as they hold the responsibility of creating a better future.
How to create Inclusive Designs?: The blueprint for creating Inclusive Designs
The broad scope of aspects determining the inclusive nature of designs takes a few key aspects under consideration. These include the following:
Gender Inclusivity:
Gender inclusivity not only looks at better inclusion of women in the design process but also expands to the realm of the non-binary population. Public toilets are the best space for the application of gender-inclusive design activism. Gender inclusivity activism can also translate into the urban design of public spaces. Principles of natural surveillance and security can be applied consciously to create gender-inclusive spaces.
Disability Inclusivity:
There are several different disabilities that millions of people suffer from. Be it visual impairment, reduced mobility due to old age, or immobility due to dysfunctional body parts, the list is endless. These disabilities hamper the way people manoeuvre around space. Design of spaces should consider the need and comfort of the differently abled people and create spaces that are disability-inclusive.
Cultural and Racial Inclusivity:
Cultural and racial inclusivity in design respects the nuances of cultures of diverse ethnicities. Part of this discourse includes a cultural appropriation of spaces or curating people-centric spaces that reflect their culture. Another aspect of this could include respecting and preserving the built heritage. Sometimes, the incorporation of cultural symbolism in spaces could also be entailed under the umbrella of cultural inclusivity.
Along with these parameters for creating inclusive designs, designers can follow a methodology that can guide them in their vision for inclusive design activism.
- Moving away from the conventional representations of users and the design of spaces.
- Identifying issues that need to be resolved.
- Research about neglected or suppressed communities has a broader user base that considers human plurality.
- Experiment and reiterate the possible solutions.
- Innovate and create the ambience that drives change in society.
Power of Inclusive Design Activism:
Inclusive design activism can be a catalyst for change. It can solve deeper social issues and become the context for change. It can even bring political reforms when used correctly. The Americans with Disability Act is one such example, where inclusive design activism has contributed to bringing about real change in society. Following this law, several other countries incorporated universal design standards into their bylaws.
Another counter-example of inclusive design activism could be large open grounds and squares that become a place of practising activism. These spaces often see large gatherings of people who are present in a space at once to voice their opinions on a common cause.
Thoughtful Design
Amidst all the social chaos, it is important to consider the fabric of the architecture. Larger issues of the architecture and construction industry, like environmental impact and sustainable designs, cannot be left out of the mix. Ultimately, inclusive design activism helps designers articulate spaces that are more than just accessible. Truly inclusive designs are thoughtful concerning every possible parameter.
References:
- Pan, X. (2020) How to be a diversity & inclusion activist as a designer, Medium. Bootcamp. Available at: https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/how-to-be-a-diversity-inclusion-activist-as-a-designer-45fd16e3f855 (Accessed: October 10, 2022).
- Donahue, Sean & Gheerawo, Rama. (2009). Inclusive Design 2.0 – Evolving the Approach and Meeting New Challenges.
- Iñiguez, A. (2022) Urbanism with a gender perspective: 7 guidelines for the design of Public Spaces in Buenos Aires, ArchDaily. ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/987849/urbanism-with-a-gender-perspective-7-guidelines-for-the-design-of-public-spaces-in-buenos-aires (Accessed: October 10, 2022).
- Inclusive design: Diverse voices lead to products that work for everyone (no date) Infosys Knowledge Institute. Available at: https://www.infosys.com/iki/perspectives/inclusive-design.html#:~:text=Inclusive%20design%20is%20more%20than,to%20underrepresented%20or%20oppressed%20populations. (Accessed: October 10, 2022).
- Industrial Designers Society of America (no date) IDSA. Available at: https://www.idsa.org/ (Accessed: October 10, 2022).
- Luck, R. (2017) Inclusive Design and making in practice: Bringing bodily experience into closer contact with making, Design Studies. Elsevier. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142694X1730087X (Accessed: October 10, 2022).
- Dandavate, U. (2019) Design activism, Medium. SonicRim: Stories from the Edge. Available at: https://medium.com/sonicrim-stories-from-the-edge/design-activism-496db463e5ee (Accessed: October 10, 2022).
