Empathy, universality, and design — the ideas that lead us to inclusion

The role of empathy in what we set out to build, and difference as a competitive edge. Shall we listen before we design?

In this article, I wrote about the principles of universal design and how to apply them to digital products and projects.

Right after, I started digging through my old notebooks for something I'd jotted down at some point during my Universal Design classes. It took a while, but I found it. The notes summed up the difference between three paradigms: exclusionary, integrative, and inclusive. These three little words come up a lot in education studies — but why not connect them to design, interface development, and digital projects? Let's go!

The exclusionary paradigm

I think a good way to picture it is the opening scenes of the film "300." If I remember right, there was a ritual of throwing children off a cliff if they didn't meet the standard of perfection to become a Spartan warrior.

In real life, of course, it doesn't play out quite like that. But we can point, for example, to elevators with no braille on the buttons, or websites and apps with no accessibility features at all.

So the exclusionary paradigm is built on the complete exclusion of people who don't fit what a given culture or society sees as "normal." Worth noting: this exclusion doesn't have to involve anything as drastic as the example above. It can be far more subtle — like denying someone a place in society because of a physical limitation or an illness. In short, any trait that gets used to brand a person as strange or lesser.

The integrative paradigm

The integrative paradigm, in turn, does bring in the person who differs from the "normal" cultural or physical standards — but only in an assistive way. In doing so, it cancels out that person's own capacities and strengths, treating them as different and limited. This idea grew out of the notion of humanity and a rising awareness of society's collective dimensions.

Some schools separate students with a syndrome or condition from the rest. Even though those students get dedicated support, they're kept from mixing with their peers — which creates a kind of segregation and quietly reinforces the idea that they're less capable than everyone else.

It's common for integrative gestures to be part of daily life, whenever there's an effort to be empathetic toward those seen as different. But they don't always work. Take the image below, for example:

You could argue that with this ramp wedged into the stairs, everyone can get into the house. But one glance is enough to see the solution wasn't well designed. The same thing happens in digital projects when only a few features are bolted on to help people with specific needs. Wouldn't it be easier to design in a broader way that works for every user from the start?

The inclusive paradigm: design for everyone!

Designer: never forget the role of empathy in the design process. Listen to the other person and understand how they want to be treated; get to know and honor the strengths and skills they've built over a lifetime to live as fully as they can. That's how inclusion actually happens.

The inclusive paradigm is about valuing diversity and recognizing these differences (or disabilities) as an edge and a strength, rather than a shortfall against everyone else.

In this context, more than any other, empathy is essential. Knowing how to listen to your users, take in what matters, and design around the feedback you gather can lead to a genuinely great result — surfacing a wealth of different ideas and worldviews. And that will make your project richer and more relevant, without a doubt.

A quick aside: since 2012, the judges who evaluate the samba schools' drum sections in São Paulo have been visually impaired. Without sight, the other senses sharpen, which is why they can read the cadence and rhythm of the samba with such precision. Source: https://istoe.com.br/190374_O+CARNAVAL+DA+INCLUSAO/

OK, but how do we make sure everyone can genuinely use our digital products? Beyond the Principles of Universal Design, there are guidelines that help us design truly accessible screens and systems. There are even standards and regulations set by global organizations, like the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

One of the resources I turn to most when I'm designing something is material.io, built by Google. It's full of guidelines and best practices for creating apps and websites. There's also a section devoted entirely to accessibility, which I'll summarize in another article.

Empathy and design

Designer: never forget the role of empathy in the design process. Listen to the other person and understand how they want to be treated; get to know and honor the strengths and skills they've built over a lifetime to live as fully as they can. That's how inclusion actually happens.

We have to understand that every person has their limitations and their strengths. Some are good at math, others with words. There are those born with a musical ear, and those who study for years to get as close as they can to the perfect note. People who can't hear use their eyes like no one else, and people who can't see use touch and hearing to make sense of the world around them.

Let's not forget that everyone is capable of achieving whatever they set out to, and deserves to be treated with respect, empathy, and care — because only they know the weight of the daily battles they fight.

As Caetano Veloso sings in "Dom de Iludir": "each of us knows the pain and the delight of being who we are."