Inclusive Design

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Inclusive design refers to a creation process that aims to make a product or service accessible to a maximum number of individuals, regardless of their physical, mental, or social characteristics.

Creating inclusive products/services, beyond the ethical aspect, allows you to:

➡️ Reach a broader audience, including people who are traditionally underserved (business).

→ Disability, for example, represents 24% of the French working population.

➡️ Develop new features and products (creativity).

→ The remote control or vibration mode on phones were invented for people with disabilities.

➡️ Ensure compliance with regulations and portray an image aligned with your values.

1️⃣ Conduct an Inclusive Market Study

This involves selecting a diverse range of individuals for interviews and beta testers (considering age, gender diversity, disabilities, education levels, different cultures, etc.). Also, use various data collection methods and analyze the data considering these diverse perspectives. This approach provides valuable insights to better understand the market at the MVP stage and develop products and services that cater to potential customers.

2️⃣ Learn from Existing Best Practices

At this stage, learning about best practices is an excellent way to benefit from other startups' experiences and apply that knowledge to create products and services that are accessible from the outset.

Numerous online resources include case studies, articles, and guides that offer advice and concrete examples for making products and services accessible "by design."

For example, check out Accessibility Principles.

3️⃣ Develop for the Majority, Not the Average

For this, it's crucial to integrate inclusive design into the project's development roadmap from the beginning. This involves considering accessibility and diversity issues from the initial concept and incorporating them as key project objectives. It's essential to then build a diverse product team, including varied profiles, especially those with expertise in accessibility and a sensitivity to the needs of users with limitations.

By combining these aspects, the startup can begin to cultivate an inclusive and accessible culture, ensuring that these principles remain integrated throughout all stages of their project's development, including the pre-seed and seed stages that follow.

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