Inclusion shapes design by shifting designers from guessing what works to asking better questions about real people and real users. It’s a mindset that treats every friction point as a clue to improve usability for more users.
Inclusion starts with a simple question: Who can’t use this right now, and why? Instead of assuming your design works for everyone, you spot the mismatches, places where the interface, flow, or content doesn’t fit how people actually operate.
You should ask yourself:
- Does this button work for someone using only a keyboard?
- Can someone skim this page if they’re color blind or in bright sunlight?
- Will this form frustrate someone on a slow connection or small screen?
By questioning those hidden assumptions early, you design around real constraints. What starts as a fix for one user often makes the whole experience smoother and more flexible for others.
Inclusion shapes design by making “Does this work for me?” into “Does this work for someone who isn’t me?” It’s about building the habit of spotting usability gaps before they become user complaints. Over time, this leads to products that feel intuitive across devices, contexts, and abilities.
If you want to learn more about this topic, i recommend checking out Kat Holmes’s book Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design.