A Different Voice 09: Ariadni

How can we practice inclusivity by designing for all and creating solutions that are human-centred?

Meet Ariadni:

Over the last few years, we’ve (finally!) seen more of the “norms” and stereotypes that our societies have historically been built upon being re-examined, re-evaluated and rejected. We’ve slowly been changing and growing to reflect better, more thoughtful values, such as equality, inclusivity, diversity and accessibility. More of us understand the importance of living in a society that accepts everyone for their unique self, and the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this.[1]

Now more than ever, brands, products, services, comms and spaces are being created with everyone in mind. So I was curious to find out a bit more about how different brands are born or become inclusive…

The facets of inclusivity.

Inclusivity is a layered, multifaceted subject. To begin to understand it, let’s look at its dictionary definition:

“Inclusivity is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or intellectual disabilities or belonging to other minority groups.”[2]

The concept of equal access is so important here – it’s about people being able to choose what they do, experience, engage with, buy and try, rather than this being limited by who society thinks (or forgets) they are. And this applies to all aspects of humanity, society and individuality, from religion to sexual orientation, from age to race, from physical to cognitive disability, from socio-economic background to body type.

I also wanted to look further into how designers talk about inclusivity. On the Design Council’s website, I found a definition that’s about the design of new buildings, but that I feel is much more widely relevant:

“Inclusive design aims to remove the barriers that create undue effort and separation. It enables everyone to participate equally, confidently and independently in everyday activities.”[3]

What’s interesting with the design definition is that it mentions the removal of barriers, highlighting that inclusivity also involves fixing a problem that has built up over time. We need to extend and level the playing field, which is currently full of cracks, bumps, chasms and even mountains.

A framework for inclusivity.

So, as I mentioned, inclusivity is really a layered, multifaceted subject and – in an ideal world – for a brand to be 100% inclusive, it would consider and eventually include all aspects and even blur the lines between them.

In the framework below, I’ve identified some of the facets of inclusivity. I think of it a bit like a spinning wheel that keeps us (and brands) moving forward, and the “petals” are an evolving list of aspects of humanity, society and individuality (starting with the ones I talked about earlier). Of course, there are more aspects than what I’ve shown, and they are constantly changing as our knowledge of the gaps increases… So the number of petals is not fixed.

A brand looking to be inclusive by design would consider and cover multiple aspects to keep the wheel moving, and in the framework we see this being done in three main ways:

• • • Inclusive support: Using the brand’s voice and reach to show support to those who are excluded and empowering them through campaigns that increase awareness and representation.
    • Inclusive add on: Creating special editions or extensions to a brand’s core products/services that are specifically designed to be more inclusive.
    • Integrated inclusivity: Making inclusivity an inherent part of the core brand offering, with products, services and comms that exclude no one and include everyone.

The ultimate, idyllic goal would be integrated inclusivity and for brands to be truly human-centred. I think that visualising the concept in this way helps to understand all the different aspects that come into play. So, with this framework in mind, I thought I’d explore recent examples of what brands are doing, and how they are finding ways to show support, create add-ons and integrate inclusivity into their offer.

Inclusive support.

A common way for a brand to show support is through a campaign. It’s true that these efforts can often be labelled as superficial marketing stunts… I’m thinking of things like Rainbow Capitalism here, where companies add the Pride flag to their logos or products, but then do little to overturn discriminatory policies and behaviours within their organisations.[4] But – when done right – these initiatives and campaigns can get us thinking and trigger change. It’s about reaching a large audience, backing a cause with tangible actions, building awareness, and even adding an element of education, so more people understand the different facets of inclusivity and how things can be better.

Below are some recent examples of brands showing inclusive support.

Last year, Doritos launched a campaign called #AmplifyBlackVoices, where the brand gave its outdoor advertising, billboards and murals across the US to Black artists in the push to illustrate and elevate Black voices in the fight against racial injustice. This year they are continuing the initiative by leveraging packaging as well: Solid Black is a new multi-platform initiative backed by action and funding, designed to bolster the voices of Black innovators and creators. It is brought to life on pack with limited edition illustrations by artist Megan Lewis that tell a story of Black joy, strength and resilience. In this way, Doritos effectively hands over its platform to those that are under-represented, giving them funds, resources, reach, clout and support to continue driving the change.

Another example is this 2019 Gucci campaign, which celebrates authentic beauty and challenges the aesthetic standards that society has set over time. Many people have been bullied throughout their lives because they look different from “the norm.” But the truth is that perfection does not exist and everyone can be perfectly imperfect.

According to the latest estimates, by 2050 there will be 2 billion people aged over 60. That’s 22% of the world population![5] And yet, older people are often left out of the conversation: we hear so much more about Millennials and Gen Z moving and shaking society.

One of the areas where ageism is common is sex and sexuality. Sex in older generations is portrayed by many as distasteful and taboo, so these individuals are excluded from initiatives and innovations in this field. Therefore, earlier this year I was really happy to spot a very powerful campaign by Ogilvy for the charity Relate, aimed at normalising sex and intimacy for older people. The campaign invites them to talk about the joy of later life sex, backing the message with research and statistics that paint a more inclusive, positive and realistic picture. The people featured are of varying ethnicities, sizes, shapes and sexualities, aiming to show that we can all feel empowered to think and talk about sex and intimacy as we grow older.

And let’s never forget body positivity!

Very recently, Pinterest banned all weight-loss ads from its website in order to empower body positivity and to normalise different sizes. One of the biggest shows of tangible, credible support is for a company to choose the wellbeing of its consumers over ad revenues.

Normalising age, gender, beauty and all the other petals of inclusivity through powerful campaigns backed by concrete changes give a strong message and can make everyone feel included.

Inclusive add-on.

Another way of being inclusive is through an add-on, where a brand creates a new product or service dedicated to and designed specifically for inclusivity. This type of approach is most common in brands that have been around for longer – before inclusivity was truly on the agenda – and who are now re-evaluating their positioning.

Kellogg’s has been trialling a number of accessible packaging enhancements. For example, the brand has added a special feature to its cereal packaging to make it more accessible to people who are visually impaired. Consumers download the NaviLens app, which enables their smartphone to detect and playback a QR code printed on pack, and then playback labelling and allergen information to shoppers. A simple add-on to the graphics supported by tech to make a mainstream product more accessible.

Another example is Gillette’s TREO razor – here, however, it’s not an add-on to an existing product, but a special edition. TREO is the world’s first razor designed to shave someone else. The blades are angled in a way that makes it easier to shave others, and is therefore designed specifically with caregivers in mind.

We see fashion behave in a similar way. Last Autumn, Marc Jacobs launched his first polysexual collection, called Heaven. The designs focus on the softer side of Jacobs’s subversive aesthetic while blurring gender boundaries, and it’s a complement to his wider portfolio. Or, to use his own words, it’s “a world within our Marc Jacobs world”.

Add-ons are not limited to packaging and product. In 2020, Google decided to update its style guide in order to prevent developers from “unnecessarily gendered words” in their documentation. For example, instead of “man-hours” the developer would use “person hours” or instead of using “all mankind” they would use “all of humanity”. The overall goal of this initiative is for labels that put a gender on things to be changed and everyone to be nudged to think without genders in mind.

If a brand is not born inclusive, add-ons like this are markers of much needed positive change. It shows brands are in synch with the shifts in the world around them and are ready to evolve. So let’s conclude with a few examples of brands born or integrating inclusivity.

Integrated inclusivity.

Skincare brand The Ordinary was launched a couple of years ago with inclusivity at its core: because of its minimal and genderless design it was a true leader and revolutionised the design codes and conventions of beauty, a traditionally heavily gender-specific category.

Since then a lot of beauty brands have joined the inclusivity movement. A recent addition is Good Light: the founders David Yi and Michael Engert wanted to create a brand which would provide the non-binary beauty products that society needs and wants right now. They kept the design of their brand clean and minimal, shifting the focus to the quality and benefits of the product, letting consumers choose freely based on their skincare needs, without being distracted by tired codes and conventions about male/female beauty.

The fashion world is also rich in examples of new brands that are born inclusive. I recently came across The Phluid Project, a gender-free apparel store that is being described as the first of its kind and aims to make genderless clothing accessible to all. Phluid partners exclusively with brands whose products celebrate the non-binary. It started as a small retail space in New York, where the store was also used for events, community building and conversations about subjects related to gender, diversity and identity. It has since evolved into a foundation and wider outreach programme, a natural next step for the brand, and one that also sets the standard for bigger, traditional retailers to learn from.

Due to who, how and when it was developed, technology is often found to be a space where racial discrimination is inherent. For example, did you know that most cameras are optimized for lighter skin hues? This means that they often read Black and Brown faces as shadows, generating images that can look muddy, pale or artificially light.

Aware of this problem, Snapchat is developing a more inclusive camera lens that will allow any person to be seen in the way that they want to be seen—the way that they are. It shows a brand committing to changing a core part of its digital capabilities to challenge the status quo and drive positive change.

A manifesto for an inclusive future.

It’s clear that there are many ways brands can become more (or totally) inclusive: from those that are born to integrate inclusivity in everything they do, to established ones showing support and extending their offer as part of a wider change in values.

I’m feeling pretty hopeful that things are moving in the right direction. So I just wanted to end by trying to encapsulate the sentiment and ideas behind being Inclusive by Design. A manifesto of sorts to inspire new and old brands alike, and to look to the future of society with hope and optimism.