A comprehensive tool for developing new human-centred and social inclusion-oriented design strategies and guidelines

ABSTRACT

While Human-Centred Design is by the time considered a consolidated design methodology, emerging social inclusion-oriented theories need to be more comprehended in order to understand their potential applications in the development of new design solutions. This sort of discrepancy often generates contradictory phenomena: solutions developed using such approaches cannot be considered, at the same time, fully human-centred and social inclusion-oriented. The purpose of this article is to describe a new comprehensive tool, conceived both for designers and researchers, able to develop human-centred and social inclusion-oriented design strategies and guidelines. The tool, which is called ‘HSDT’ (Human-Social Design Tool), is an easy-to-use methodological instrument useful to identify focused results oriented toward Human-Centred Design and Social Inclusion. Using logical sequences, it allows to develop new conceptual definitions for both design and non-design subjects into new human-centred and social inclusion-oriented records. Theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, development stages and applications in design and non-design areas are presented and discussed to demonstrate real benefits resulting from the introduction of a new type of interdisciplinary tool and, later, the opportunity for designers and researchers to adopt new problem-solving approaches to bridging the gaps within Design literature.

Keywords:

• human-centred design
• social inclusion
• new tool
• interdisciplinary
• design strategies and guidelines

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. There is a wide terminological debate on the correct name attributed to the design approach that promotes the goal of inclusion of people in the everyday life; this because the idea of inclusion can be developed in many ways, and throughout years it has been linked to many other meanings, including: accessibility, integration, empowerment, autonomy of use, prevention of social exclusion, design for disability, etc. Based on the geographical areas, it can be called as ‘Universal Design’ (USA, Japan and Norway), ‘Inclusive Design’ (UK) and ‘Design for All’ (in many countries of Europe). Because the purpose of this article is not to describe the terminological and methodological differences between such approaches, the term ‘Design for Social Inclusion’ will be used in a broader sense referring to all design activities aimed to include people in their everyday life through the principles of social inclusion.

2. Both tests are part of an original research entitled Designing Inclusive Natural User Interfaces for Sharing Know-How conducted by Author of this Article, where the HSDT has been developed in its beta version (Rossi, 2014).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emilio Rossi

Emilio Rossi is CEO at Emilio Rossi Design Consulting (Italy) and Adjunct Professor of Industrial Design in the Department of Architecture at the University of Chieti-Pescara (Italy). He received a PhD in Industrial Design (Architecture and Urban Planning Program) (2014) and a Master in Architecture (2010) at University of Chieti-Pescara (Italy); he also obtained a Master in Euro-Project Management (2013) at Europa Cube Innovation Business School (Italy). In 2013, he was a Visiting Researcher at Brunel University London (UK). His research interests revolve around four areas: Design for Social Inclusion in new product development; Human-Computer Interaction Design; Development of new technologies, tools and methods for sharing knowledge; Ergonomic Design for Sustainability. He is Co-Chair of the AHFE Affiliated International Conference on Additive Manufacturing, Modeling Systems and 3D Prototyping and a Member of the IEA Technical Committee on Human Factors and Sustainable Development. Professionally, He works in the fields of new product development, design research and strategic innovation for SMEs, with a focus on Sustainability and Social Inclusion.