World-first report finds.
There is a $4 billion potential increase to revenue in the Australian retail sector from better designed products and services, according to new research by the Centre for Inclusive Design in partnership with Adobe and Microsoft.
The Benefit of Designing for Everyone report, conducted by PwC, found that products and services designed with the needs of people experiencing poverty, disability or the effects of ageing in mind can reach four times the number of intended consumers and impact the bottom-line.
People who experience difficulty accessing or using products and services are often not included in the design process. This can result in disregarding a significant percentage of the Australian population as well as costly retrofits for products and services, which can reach up to 10,000 times the cost of introducing inclusive design earlier on.
Within the retail products sector, up to 20% of Australians are unable to access and use goods appropriately. More inclusively designed retail products would promote accessibility and improve the user experience for all Australians.
For example, the ‘household goods’ and ‘clothing, footwear and personal accessory’ categories, which comprise products used by most of the population, would be greatly impacted through inclusive design. This impact would see a $4 billion increase in revenue for these retail categories.
According to the report, a variety of retail products that were originally designed with edge users in mind are now used by a wide majority of consumers. Electric toothbrushes were created for patients with limited motor skills but have also become popular with consumers who don’t have this issue.
Last year, Coles introduced an autism spectrum-friendly low-sensory “Quiet Hour” experience in 173 of its stores. The initiative has not only impacted shoppers with autism, but also shoppers who want peace and quiet while they shop.
There are 5 million Australians across the country who are unable to access products and services because of poor design, yet they possess over $40 billion in annual disposable income. This number includes people living with a disability and seniors; however there are millions of Australians who are also vulnerable to exclusion due to location, gender, ethnicity or financial status.
Centre for Inclusive Design CEO, Dr Manisha Amin said, “Design that considers the full range of human diversity with respect to ability, language, culture, gender, age and other forms of human difference means more people are included.
“We commissioned the research to identify and determine the necessary means by which Australia can act to reduce these gaps. Inclusively designed products and services that have users in mind, can reach and benefit up to four times the size of the intended audience and enable organisations to increase their revenue by growing the size of their target markets.
“Designers, companies, and government all have a role to play, by designing, investing and legislating with difference in mind, so that a design process that is inclusive becomes standard practice.”