Practical Principles of Inclusive Research
Summary
Many of us are interested in executing research in a more inclusive way - but don’t know where to start. Drawing from real-life examples, we’ll cover how you can start doing more ethical and inclusive research.
Key Insights
-
•
Inclusive research is about creating environments where everyone feels they belong, beyond just disability.
-
•
About one billion people worldwide have permanent disabilities, a number increasing due to aging populations.
-
•
Situational and temporary disabilities dramatically increase the number of people needing inclusive design.
-
•
Closed captioning benefits not only people with hearing loss but also language learners, multitaskers, and those in noisy environments.
-
•
Products like Guide Beauty’s adaptive makeup demonstrate how inclusive design can empower users with physical challenges.
-
•
Adaptive clothing markets are rapidly growing, presenting significant business opportunities.
-
•
Historical systemic inequities like redlining still impact financial service accessibility today and require inclusive approaches.
-
•
Having diverse teams ensures better questioning and recognition of potential harms in product design.
-
•
Companies often focus first on visual accessibility due to legal exposure but should expand to broader inclusive strategies.
-
•
Tracking user demographics and evolving inclusive research practices over time are key strategies for progress.
Notable Quotes
"Inclusion is thinking about creating spaces for people that make them feel that they belong."
"We’re always designing for ourselves, even on days when we don’t have full physical capabilities."
"Inclusive research is not about edge cases, it’s about supporting people’s abilities in context."
"Closed captioning helps people who have hearing loss, are learning a new language, or just prefer reading while watching."
"Selma Blair partnered with Guide Beauty to design makeup easier to use for people with tremors."
"Adaptive clothing is nearly doubling as a market and opens new opportunities for retailers like Target."
"Financial services companies in the UK are working to make credit and loan approvals more equitable."
"Having a diverse team helps ensure you’re asking the right questions in research and design."
"Many companies start with vision accessibility because of legal risks, but accessibility should be broader."
"You have to sometimes extend research timelines and ask hard questions to understand diverse needs."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Inclusive products reduce friction across customer support and operations by improving consistency across channels."
Gabriela BarnevaOperationalizing Inclusive Design in Service Design
November 20, 2025
"Even though we're virtual, our code of conduct still applies and requires respect and kindness."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
January 8, 2024
"Behind simple tasks, there’s often big complexity hiding, especially in enterprise environments."
Russell Blair Milan GuentherKilling the blank page
June 5, 2024
"When you project Apple CarPlay, you are basically sending the device from your phone into the car, detaching from the native OS."
James RamptonThe Basics of Automotive UX & Why Phones Are a Part of That Future
July 25, 2024
"If you don’t understand the financial flow in an organization, you’re financially illiterate and you’re on top."
Christian MadsbjergInfluencing Strategy
March 31, 2020
"You can copy and paste error messages into ChatGPT, and it can help you fix your scripts quickly."
Bryce Benton[Demo] AI-powered UX enhancement: Aligning GitHub documentation with USWDS at Austin Public Library
June 4, 2024
"Empathy is not sensitivity or an emotion—it is a skill that you have."
Indi YoungPaying Better Attention to the Problem with Indi Young
December 12, 2019
"Christina Shim never in her wildest dreams thought she would join IBM, but became inspired by IBM’s history and vision on sustainability."
Chris HammondEmbedding sustainability into enterprise design and development: A journey towards "sustainability consciousness"
April 2, 2025
"Cohorts are consistently one of the highest rated parts of the conference — they’re a fantastic way to learn together."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
September 9, 2022
