Inclusive By Design

MATHIEU AGUESSE is an award-winning lecturer at UC Berkeley and MIT, where his groundbreaking courses on Inclusive and Equitable Design have inspired the next generation of leaders and innovators. As a global expert, Mathieu has worked across continents, partnering with hundreds of companies to shape strategies and products that drive sustainability, inclusivity, and societal impact. Renowned for his ability to bridge corporate strategy with pressing global challenges, he has developed multiple design frameworks that leverage Design as a powerful tool to tackle the most urgent issues of our time. He started a company in Silicon Valley in 2018 and as the CEO of Schoolab his work continues to redefine how businesses and institutions can create a more inclusive and equitable world.

• Introduction xxiChapter 1 The Fundamentals of Inclusive Design 1Understanding Inclusivity in Design 2Solutions Lie with the Problem Creators 3We All Have the Ability to Make a Difference 4The Power of Design and Intention 7The Importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 9The Immediate Benefits of DEI for Organizations 12Broadening the Audience 15Mitigating Reputational Risks 16Enhancing Business Resilience 17Creating a Competitive Advantage in the Market 17The Long-Term Risks of Growing Inequality: A Path to Societal Collapse 18Historical Lessons on Inequality and Collapse 18The Fall of the Roman Empire 19The French Revolution (1789– 1799) 19The Arab Spring (2010– 2012) 19The Importance of Addressing Inequality to Prevent Societal Collapse in the Context of Climate Change 20Why Design? 21The Foundational Role of Design in Tackling DEI Challenges 21Design as the Beginning of All Creation 22The Pervasiveness of Design 22The Storytelling Power of Design 22Systems Thinking 23Multidisciplinary Integration 24Creating Meaningful Change Through Design 26The Ripple Effect of Intentional Design 26Design as a Personal and Professional Tool 26The Collaborative Nature of Design 27Simplification and Systemic Challenges 27Restless Testing and Feedback Integration 27Diversity of Perspective 28Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces 28Historical Context and Evolution of Inclusive Design 29Early Beginnings: Universal Design 29The Disability Rights Movement 30Design for All in Europe 31Technological Advancements and Digital Inclusion 32Human-Centered Design 32Modern Inclusive Design 33Notes 33Chapter 2 The Inclusive Design Mindset 37Developing an Inclusive Lens in Everyday Life 38Understanding Your Role as a Citizen and a Consumer 39Justice and Liberty for All 39Vote with Your Wallet 40Mastering Essential DEI Concepts 42Embracing Diversity’s Full Spectrum 44Transcending Politics: Equality and Inclusive Design 47Understanding Equality Through Wealth Distribution 48Inclusive and Equitable Design Beyond Politics 49A Universal Aspiration and a Strategic Imperative 50Overcoming Bias Through Design 51The Implicit Bias in Generative AI: A Personal Exploration 51Understanding Bias: A Double-Edged Sword 56The Nature and Function of Biases 57The Benefits of Biases 57The Pitfalls of Biases 58Experiments Highlighting Biases 58Biases in Action: The Four-Cards Exercise 59Addressing Biases for Greater Inclusion 60Conclusion 61Beyond Empathy—The Role of Vulnerability 61The Power of Vulnerability to Accelerate Transitions 61Overcoming the Pressure of “What Will People Think?” 63Vulnerability in Leadership 63Vulnerability and Resilience 64A New Norm to Embrace 64A Common Ground for Generations 64Conclusion 65Chapter 3 The Importance of Creating a New Narrative for Our Society 65The Need for a New Narrative 66Redefining Success: A Personal Journey Toward a New Narrative 67Promoting Visibility of Diversity in Influential Media 68Conclusion 69Notes 70Systempathy—or How to Empathize with People and the System They Live In 71From Intention to Impact: The Systemic Approach to Inclusive Design 72Systemic Thinking: The Foundation of Inclusive Design 72The Inclusive Benefit Matrix 74Universal Design 76Personalized Design 77Reducing Disadvantage 78Empowering Communities 79Connecting the Dots: The Systemic Impact of Inclusive Design 79Defining the Problem: The Foundation of Successful Design 80The Role of Empathy in Inclusive Design 81Understanding Empathy in Design 81The Broader Impact of Empathy 83Essential Tools for Assessing Needs and Challenges 83Anthropology and Ethnography in Design 84Be an Investigator, Not a Judge 85Inclusive Design and the Power of Status 89The Weight of the Past in Inclusive and Equitable Design 91Avoiding Stigmatization in Inclusive Design 95Notes 97Chapter 4 Strategies to Craft More Equitable Solutions 99Shifting Perspectives: Reframing to Find Hidden Solutions 100From Pills to Pots: A Case of Problem Reframing in Design 100Framing the Challenge Helps Reduce Biases 102Scaling Perspectives: The Ladder Exercise for Creative Problem Solving 103From Milkshakes to Remittances: Applying “Jobs to Be Done” in Design 106Being Creative—A Pragmatic Exercise 109Finding Solutions in Plain Sight: A Side-Step Approach to Inclusion 109Borrowing the Best: How Cross-Industry Solutions Elevate Inclusive Design 112Four Ways to Make a Difference—The Solution Matrix 115Courageous Conversations: Unlocking Equity in Design and Innovation 117Uncomfortable Conversation with an Equitable Designer 117Brave Conversations for Lasting Change: A Partnership to Empower Black Founders 119Breaking Taboos: Navigating Sensitive Conversations in FemTech Data Security 121Notes 123Chapter 5 Inclusive Design in Digital and Physical Spaces 125Think Beyond the Product, Look at the Experience 126Designing for True Inclusion: Addressing Every Touchpoint to Build Equitable Experiences 127Rethinking Shampoo: How Sensory Design Can Break Barriers and Promote Inclusivity 130Inclusive by Design: Starting from the Beginning 131Breaking Barriers: How Thoughtful Onboarding and Distribution Create More Inclusive Access 134The Power of Interfaces: Connecting People Through Thoughtful Design 135Empowering Communities: How Companies Can Redefine Their Role in Society 138Putting Your Product’s Strength at the Service of a Cause 138Leveraging Strengths for Greater Impact: The Writing Assistant and Team Collaboration Platform Projects 140Finding Places to Share the Power to Uplift Underserved Communities 141Introducing Technology at the Same Pace to Avoid Deepening the Gap 142Equitable Deployment of Technology: The Electric School Bus Project 144Bridging the Digital Divide for Small Businesses: The Virtual Assistant Project 145Transforming Technology: The Essential Role of Hardware and Software in Inclusive Design 146Objective: Designing for Cognitive Inclusion 147Bridging the Digital Divide: Integrating Hardware and Software for Inclusive Innovation 148The Challenge: Accessibility Beyond the Screen 149The Solution: Integrating Hardware and Software for Inclusive Design 149The Importance of Ecosystems in Inclusive Innovation 150Notes 150Chapter 6 Designing for, with, and by Communities 151Community Engagement in All Degrees 152Engaging with Communities: A Powerful Starting Point 154Three Levels of Community Engagement in Design 156Designing for Communities 156Designing with Communities 158Designing by Communities 159Different Paths to Inclusion: Stories of Designing for, with, and by Communities 160Designing for Communities: The World-Renowned OXO Peeler 160Designing with Communities: A Neurodiverse-Friendly Productivity Suite 161Designing by Communities: Empowering Small Business Owners 163Bringing Voices to the Table: The Power and Challenges of True Representation 164Demystifying Community Outreach: Embracing Vulnerability to Build Trust 166The Prototyping Strategy: Making Every Moment Count 167Seeing Through Their Eyes: Using Photo-Elicitation for Deeper Community Insight 169From Overlooked Details to Design Inspiration: Immersing in User Realities 170Accessing Inaccessible Communities 172Ask Local Experts 173Leverage Netnography to Uncover Unique Insights 173Explore Analogous Situations 174Try to Create a Living Lab 174Ethical Considerations and Power Dynamics in Equitable Design 175Transparency and Building Trust 175Inclusion Beyond the Loudest Voices 177Ethical Compensation Without Creating Imbalances 177Bridging Cultural and Social Gaps 178Shared Ownership and Empowerment 178Notes 179Chapter 7 Implementing Inclusive Solutions and the Business Cases Behind Them 181Business Cases: Four Ways to Make the Investment Count 182Product Inclusion as a Growth Driver 182From Corporations to SMEs: Expanding Reach with Scalable Solutions 183Inclusive Banking: Expanding Reach and Revenue Through Better Design 183Strengthening Customer Loyalty Through Inclusive Branding 185Expanding Social Media Reach with Inclusive Features 186Expanding the Pool of Partners, Talent, and Stakeholders 188Leveling the Playing Field for Startup Success 188Unlocking Workforce Potential Through Inclusive Job Design 189Rethinking Recruitment: Expanding Talent Pools for Growth 190Redefining Industry Standards to Stand Out 191Setting the Benchmark for Seamless Authentication 192Making Accessibility Mainstream: Panasonic’s Industry-Leading Approach 194Beyond Syntax: Redefining Writing Tools for Inclusive Impact 195Breaking the Mold: A New Approach to Streamlined Content Selection 196Transforming a Commodity: How Inclusive Design Can Revitalize a Notebook Brand 197Minimizing Reputational Risk with Inclusive Design Strategies 199Empowering Consumers Through Ethical Transparency 199The Risks of Overlooking Data Privacy in Sensitive Markets 200Addressing AI Bias to Prevent Reputational Damage 201Steps to Implementation 202Defining a Testing Strategy 202Making Testing Count: A Deep Dive into User Feedback 204Adapting to Company Timelines While Staying Agile 206Aligning Teams for Inclusive Design Implementation 207Notes 208Chapter 8 Scaling Up: From Local Initiatives to Global Impact 211Orchestrating Change 212Leading with Vulnerability: The Key to Scaling Inclusive Design 212Meet Them Where They Are 213Sometimes a Little Nudge Goes a Long Way 215Aligning Incentives: Building Accountability and Engagement for Inclusive Growth 215Supplier Diversity 219Practical Metrics for Measuring Impact: Ensuring Tangible Outcomes in Inclusive and Equitable Design 220Identifying Easy-to-Measure Metrics 221Long-Term Metrics: Guiding Systemic Change in Inclusive and Equitable Design 229Chapter 9 Local vs. Global and the Replicability Puzzle 230Focus on Mechanisms, Not Just Contexts 230Adapt to Local Distribution Channels 232Scaling and Additionality 232The Nike Hijab Example 233A Recipe for Scaling 234Prove the Success with Documented Metrics 234Attract Funds and Important Support to Grow 235Work with Community Partners and Users to Build Credibility and Scale 236The Speed Dilemma 237Be Ready for the Unexpected 238Navigating the Challenges of Equity in a Changing World 238Notes 240The Next Generation’s Power: Rethinking Inclusion for a New Era 241The DEI Reckoning: What Went Wrong? 241A Movement That Lost Its Way 242The Real Story Behind the Backlash: Disillusionment, Not Rejection 243The Next Generation and the Crisis They Will Inherit 244Inclusive Design as the Next Phase of Real Change 246The Danger of Monolithic Thinking: Teaching People to Think Independently 248The Next Generation’s Awakening: Recognizing Their Influence in the Corporate World 249From Performative Change to Embedded Inclusion: The Next Chapter 252Notes 252Chapter 10 The Future of Inclusive Design 255Future Modeling and the Decolonization of Futures 256Decolonizing the Future 257The Role of Design Fiction in Future Modeling 257Why Future Modeling Matters for Inclusion 258Exploring Future Scenarios for Inclusive Design 259The Commons Economy: Cooperative Ownership as the New Standard 259AI as the Ethical Guardian: Bias-Free Decision-Making or Algorithmic Control? 260A Day in This Future 260Switches That Enable This Future 261Critical Question 261Neo-Tribalism: The Fragmentation of Society into Micro-Identities 261A Day in This Future 261Switches That Enable This Future 261Critical Question 262The Post-Diversity Workplace: Hiring for Adaptability, Not Identity 262A Day in This Future 262Switches That Enable This Future 262Critical Question 263The Resilience Index: Measuring Inclusion Like We Measure Carbon 263A Day in This Future 263Switches That Enable This Future 263Critical Question 264How Leaders, Decision-Makers, and Designers Should Use These Scenarios 264Transitioning to Measuring Inclusion—Lessons from Sustainability 266Distributivity: Measuring How Value Is Shared 268How to Measure Distributivity 269Applying Distributivity to the Digital Inclusion for Unbanked Citizens Initiative 270Expanding the Impact Through Distributivity 270Measuring Distributivity: Practical Approaches 271A Simple Formula for Distributivity 272Advanced Methods for Measuring Distributivity 272Additionality: Ensuring True Impact Rather than Displacement 275How to Measure Additionality 276Applying Additionality to a Real-World Example 276Measuring Additionality: Practical Approaches 277Why Additionality Matters 279The Dual Framework: Using Distributivity and Additionality Together 279Why One Metric Alone Is Not Enough 279The Conceptual Matrix 280Real-World Applications 280A Future-Proof Approach to Inclusive Design 280Why Inclusive Design Is the Best Future Strategy 281The Role of Governments, Businesses, and Communities 281A Call to Action: Moving from Reactive to Proactive Approaches 282Conclusion: Designing a Just and Equitable Future 282Notes 283Index 285