June is a very important month for us at Monday: not only do we celebrate our birthday, but we also take the time to focus on making the world a better place. As you probably know, this is LGBTQIA+ awareness month — in celebration of the Stonewall riots in Manhattan, 1969, a defining moment in the Gay Liberation Movement in the US and, of course, now celebrated in various parts of the globe.
As a company, we’re dedicated to bringing people together, allowing every single person to be who they are — without judgment, prejudice, or discrimination — and treating them with love and respect. In fact, one of our core values is that our team is what makes us unique, and we are ever so proud of every single member of ours.
In that light, we’d like to dedicate this month’s article to Inclusive Design and the sense of belonging that every person should have while interacting with a product or service and raise awareness that, unfortunately, and most times, not everyone is included. But hey, baby steps, right? We make the change we want to see in this world.
Expect some useful tips and insights on accessibility, inclusive copy, and gender inclusivity.
It was written with love, so we hope you enjoy it.
What is Inclusive Design?
Putting it simply, it’s the idea that design should be accessible to everyone, and it’s all about making people’s lives easier. Inclusivity means that software, products, services, and design should be usable by the widest range of people possible, so it should be considered in every step of the design process.
By creating products, services, and design that are not inclusive, we’re marginalizing people, so it’s crucial to make sure that everyone can use our products. As Kat Holmes beautifully said: “Designing for inclusion begins with recognizing exclusion.”
Solve for one, extend to many.
Always remember that empathy is key :)
Accessibility in Design
A very important part of inclusive design comes with accessibility: the design of products, devices, services, or environments usable by people with disabilities — visual, motor, auditory, speech, or cognitive. For many companies and designers it’s still a very scary word, looked at merely as a “nice-to-have”, and very often not even considered in any part of the design process.
The thing is, and when you think about it is a no-brainer: we’re all going to need accessible technology at some point in our lives, and not every disability is visible (or fitting) to what we’ve preconceived it to be. Take aging, for example — it’s not a disability, per se, but it comes with some challenging side effects.
Accessibility will enable people with disabilities to perceive, understand, navigate and interact with products, services, and even the world around them. Both companies and designers should be invested in creating meaningful experiences that drive innovation and give that sense of belonging to everyone.
Oh, and did you know that 15% of the world’s population experience some kind of disability? That’s, like, a billion people. Whoa.
Here are some ways in which you can help them navigate your product:
- Not everyone sees or perceives color the same way, so try and avoid making it the primary information base.
- Make your product predictable, simple, and easy to use — that’s what makes it intuitive.
- Be careful when making forms — have clearly defined boundaries and visible labels in mind.
- Support keyboard navigation — this is one of the most critical aspects of web accessibility.
- Be an ally and make accessibility part of your design research: look for different contexts, iterate your products, and create new ways for people to feel enabled.
These are just a few of the many steps you can take to be inclusive in your design.
Remember that accessibility makes ALL user’s lives easier!
Gender Inclusivity
Traditional gender rules are so last season! Binary codes should be left to computers, don’t you think? Yep, we 100% agree.
It’s getting harder for people to feel represented as to how one perceives their own gender has been changing over time.
But let’s divide this by parts so that it’s easier to understand:
- Gender Identity: how an individual understands their own gender, regardless of biological sex.
- Gender Expression: the external display of one’s gender identity.
- Gender Nonconforming: not following the societal rules of M/F.
- Non-Binary: not following either M/F gender norms, also addressed as genderfluid or genderqueer.
- Trans: people whose gender identity does not align with their sex assigned at birth.
Basically, gender is a spectrum — and there are many ways people can identify with it. Gender expression and gender identity have nothing to do with sexual orientation, btw.
In fact, a study conducted by J. Walter Thompson Innovation Group in the US shows that Gen Z (people born in the late ’90s and early ’00s) believes that gender does not define a person as much as it used to. Over 50% said that they knew someone who went by gender-neutral pronouns. Bear in mind that Gen Z is now almost 25% of the population in the US, so things are definitely changing.
How can design be more gender-inclusive?
- Use gender-neutral or diverse imagery.
- Normalize same-gender representations.
- Be mindful of pronouns and preferred names.
- Remember to write inclusive copy.
- Build a diverse team: different cultural backgrounds and gender identities.
- Involve your users: design for and with excluded communities.
➡️ Most importantly: with starting conversations, mutual respect, understanding, and empathy.
How can your copy be more inclusive?
Both UX Writing and Microcopy play a huge role in Inclusive Design, as words have the power to define and express our identity, so they are a powerful tool for inclusion. Gender is a very important consideration for both fields in any language — even though it can differ from country to country, depending on their culture and language.
A practical example: while you can easily write gender-neutral text in English, the same is very different when it comes to our native language here at Monday — which is Portuguese.
While we make an effort always to be careful with pronouns and write gender-neutral text/copy, it’s so much harder to do it in Portuguese than it is to do it in English — but we’re committed to keep on doing it. Hopefully, things will get a little easier in the meantime!
Useful tips to keep your copy inclusive:
- Avoid using words that are naturally gendered (check the board above).
- Don’t assume pronouns (she/he/they/them/person/preferred name)
- Use language that’s welcoming, clear, and reassuring
- Be upfront about your intention when collecting data: tell your users why you’re doing it, as it can be triggering
Be mindful when designing forms: give people more than 2 options for gender, ask them for their chosen pronouns/name, or give them the option to not disclose.
Give everyone the same opportunities.
Creating experiences that everyone can enjoy and that don’t discriminate it’s just the right thing to do, and every designer, company, or service should be taking their part in bringing the world a little bit closer. Everyone should have the right to participate in everyday life fully, reflecting upon products, services, and design. The thing is, we have the tendency to look at the world through our own experiences and bias, and that’s something that brings constant exclusion. Try walking in their shoes, test for accessibility, and raise awareness.
Not only is Inclusive Design good for business, as it also drives innovation and growth. By embedding inclusivity, you’re making an impact and influencing the culture around you.
Take responsibility for inclusion, be open to constant changes, and you’ll see that your creativity will spark! Here’s to a more inclusive world, a more inclusive design mindset, and a more inclusive workforce that makes people feel safe and valued.
Meaningful experiences are what we’re all about, so we are committed always to be better and not leaving anyone behind. After all, inclusivity drives innovation and is a great part of the Human-Centered Design mindset! ✨
Everyone should be free to be who they are, and it’s our duty to make them feel at home.
Are you ready to make it happen? 🙂
Thank you so much for reading.
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Monday is a Business Design Consultancy based in sunny Lisbon. We co-create with ambitious leaders to build better businesses. We use strategy & design to transform businesses from within.
This core philosophy stands at the center of everything we create. Clients include: Mercedes, Red Bull, Banco de Portugal, Microsoft, Fujitsu, Galp, Altice, EDP…
