Universal design: designing for people, not for the “average user”

Universal design is an approach to creating environments, products and services that are accessible and convenient for the widest possible range of people. It does not replace individual accommodations where they are needed, but it reduces the number of situations in which a person is forced to ask for an exception.

Seven principles of universal design

1. Equitable use. The solution does not exclude users and does not create a stigmatised “separate entrance” without need.
2. Flexibility in use. One can act in different ways according to abilities and preferences.
3. Simple and intuitive use. A person understands how to use the solution without unnecessary complexity.
4. Perceptible information. Important messages are available in different ways.
5. Tolerance for error. The system reduces the risks of accidental or dangerous actions.
6. Low physical effort. Use does not require excessive force, endurance or complex movements.
7. Adequate size and space. The geometry makes it possible to reach, approach and use the object regardless of height or means of mobility.

Practical examples

Automatic or convenient doors help people in wheelchairs, parents with strollers and those carrying items. Visual and audio navigation is useful to different users. Video subtitles give access to people with hearing impairments, but also make viewing easier in noisy places. Well-designed online forms help people with motor impairments and everyone who uses a smartphone.

From the classroom to the rebuilding of the country

KNUCA has natural potential to develop universal design methods through architecture, engineering, urban planning, digital tools and workforce training. For us, universal design is one of the professional principles of quality reconstruction, not a decorative requirement for a finished object.

How to apply it in a project

Identify users and their tasks; check the entire pathway; record regulatory requirements; invite real users to testing; design several usage scenarios; after implementation, assess whether the solution works in everyday conditions.