Universal Design Approaches

I never truly understood the power of UX—until I saw this. This railing is part of the panoramic terrace at the Castel Sant'Elmo in Naples, Italy, and offers a breathtaking and inclusive view. What's almost as moving as the panorama itself is the the braille etched into the railing. Someone thought: How can we make this view accessible to someone who can’t see it? Not just functional. Not just compliant. But empathetic. A powerful gesture that says: You belong here, too. If like me, you understood UX as a concept, but you didn't really get it, this is it. It's neither the pixels nor the wireframes, but rather the intentional design of an experience that includes, uplifts, and connects. In product design, they talk about delight, friction, accessibility but this is a reminder that experience design is an act of care. Even the smallest touch, when rooted in empathy, can make someone feel seen. If you build products, lead teams, or shape experiences, you've seen this before, but let it again be your north star. It makes one helluva difference.

Walk anywhere in Amsterdam and you’ll sense a calm coherence: bricks, curbs, fixtures, benches, bollards and drains that look related. This isn’t accidental. It’s a product of the Puccini Method, the city’s standards—part design language, part technical playbook—for shaping every street and square. Adopted as citywide policy in 2018, it defines how the public realm is designed: from choice of pavers to lighting, furniture, tree species; even details like gullies and edging. The aim is streets that are functional, durable, safe, and visually consistent, without tipping into fussy “over-design”. Puccini emerged to fix two chronic problems: visual clutter and procurement patchwork. Before the framework, boroughs sourced their own elements, leaving a jumble of styles and standards. A single method delivers economies of scale, easier maintenance and—crucially—calmer, more legible urban spaces. In practice, Puccini produces vanzelfsprekend (or "self-evident") streets. The palette favours restrained forms and finishes, with familiar Amsterdam cues. This quiet consistency reduces visual noise, helps people navigate, and simplifies upkeep for crews who know exactly which component goes where. The method also hardwires sustainability into everyday decisions; tying procurement and design to environmental criteria, encouraging durable materials, repairable components and circular approaches. In short: long-life surfaces, robust furniture, and planting that can thrive as the climate changes. That sustainable spine is reinforced by “Green Puccini”: citywide agreements for the quality and management of planting. The dedicated handbook details tree species, ground covers, soils, and maintenance, aligning biodiversity and climate resilience with the same rigour given to bricks and lighting. The Puccini Method doesn’t chase spectacle. Its power lies in thousands of ordinary, repeated decisions that add up to a city that feels legible, durable and unique. In an era of eye-catching urban design, Amsterdam’s approach is refreshingly modest: design the everyday well, and do it the same way everywhere that makes sense.

💎 Accessibility For Designers Checklist (PDF: https://lnkd.in/e9Z2G2kF), a practical set of cards on WCAG accessibility guidelines, from accessible color, typography, animations, media, layout and development — to kick-off accessibility conversations early on. Kindly put together by Geri Reid. WCAG for Designers Checklist, by Geri Reid Article: https://lnkd.in/ef8-Yy9E PDF: https://lnkd.in/e9Z2G2kF WCAG 2.2 Guidelines: https://lnkd.in/eYmzrNh7 Accessibility isn’t about compliance. It’s not about ticking off checkboxes. And it’s not about plugging in accessibility overlays or AI engines either. It’s about *designing* with a wide range of people in mind — from the very start, independent of their skills and preferences. In my experience, the most impactful way to embed accessibility in your work is to bring a handful of people with different needs early into design process and usability testing. It’s making these test sessions accessible to the entire team, and showing real impact of design and code on real people using a real product. Teams usually don’t get time to work on features which don’t have a clear business case. But no manager really wants to be seen publicly ignoring their prospect customers. Visualize accessibility to everyone on the team and try to make an argument about potential reach and potential income. Don’t ask for big commitments: embed accessibility in your work by default. Account for accessibility needs in your estimates. Create accessibility tickets and flag accessibility issues. Don’t mistake smiling and nodding for support — establish timelines, roles, specifics, objectives. And most importantly: measure the impact of your work by repeatedly conducting accessibility testing with real people. Build a strong before/after case to show the change that the team has enabled and contributed to, and celebrate small and big accessibility wins. It might not sound like much, but it can start changing the culture faster than you think. Useful resources: Giving A Damn About Accessibility, by Sheri Byrne-Haber (disabled) https://lnkd.in/eCeFutuJ Accessibility For Designers: Where Do I Start?, by Stéphanie Walter https://lnkd.in/ecG5qASY Web Accessibility In Plain Language (Free Book), by Charlie Triplett https://lnkd.in/e2AMAwyt Building Accessibility Research Practices, by Maya Alvarado https://lnkd.in/eq_3zSPJ How To Build A Strong Case For Accessibility, ↳ https://lnkd.in/ehGivAdY, by 🦞 Todd Libby ↳ https://lnkd.in/eC4jehMX, by Yichan Wang #ux #accessibility

Sensory Architecture: A Journey Through the Senses A client approached us with the vision of creating a wellness retreat that transcended the conventional. As with all our projects, we began with Land Studies, exploring its natural systems and understanding that the users were not the only guests but also the flora, fauna, and ecosystems of the place. This research led us to question: What if architecture did not only adapt to nature but co-created with it? More than a physical space, a wellness retreat is an experience. Designing in harmony with nature means creating a living, responsive architecture that interacts with its surroundings and strengthens the connection between people and the natural world. To achieve this, we studied light, sound, wind, vegetation, temperature, smells, and the metaphysical features of the site, asking key questions like: How can sensory experiences promote healing? Each site visit revealed new aspects, allowing us to map natural rhythms—light movement, wind patterns, biodiversity, influenced by the time of day and the season of the year. Studying the senses can seem overwhelming due to their subjective nature, so it was essential to understand how to measure and quantify the effects of these sensory elements on well-being. •⁠ ⁠Sight and Light: Light, essential for visual perception, influences emotions and biological rhythms. Orange light (582-620 nm) stimulates vitality, while blue light enhances concentration but can disrupt sleep. Based on these effects, one can design lighting strategies that respond to the physical and emotional needs of users at different times of the day. •⁠ ⁠Sound and Frequencies: Sound travels in waves and affects mood. Low frequencies induce relaxation, while high frequencies create alertness. Mapping natural sounds—wind, water, birds—allows us to define zones of tranquility and areas with greater sensory stimulation.  - Touch and Textures: Tactile perception involves pressure, temperature, and texture. Smooth wooden surfaces convey warmth, while rough stone evokes stability. By analyzing local materials, we design spaces that foster relaxation and a connection with nature through touch. •⁠ ⁠Smell: Smell is linked to the limbic system, influencing emotions and memories. We identified natural fragrances—like citrus & wood—to integrate them into architecture and enhance well-being. For example, we aim to design an experience where guests wake up to the invigorating scent of citrus, promoting energy and alertness, and wind down at night with the calming aroma of lavender, encouraging restful sleep. To bring this vision to life, we are working with experts from various disciplines, focusing on ecology, environmental conservation, neuroscience, and the use of local materials and construction techniques. Sensory architecture transforms design into a living organism that breathes, listens, and responds.

We design for the average. The average doesn’t exist. April is Autism Acceptance Month. Designing for autism is about building products that work for everyone. Cognitive overload affects everyone. Your brain has limits, and more noise can affect how you perceive things. For some autistic users, this is constant and amplified. Many rely on digital products to navigate daily life. Yet most interfaces ignore them. So what happens? We design experiences that overwhelm the people who need them most. And if your product overwhelms autistic users, it’s exhausting everyone else. Here are 5 principles to get you started: 1. Consistent Structure Keep navigation, layout, and UI patterns identical across your entire product. Why: Sudden changes cause anxiety and disorientation. Example: Shopping cart stays in the top-right corner across every page. 2. Literal Communication Use plain, direct language. Skip idioms and metaphors. Why: Vague language requires guessing and creates confusion Example: "Your payment was declined. Check your card number and try again." 3. Sensory Calm Use muted, natural colours. Avoid pure black/white and bright contrasts. Why: Extreme contrast and bright colours cause sensory overload Example: Dashboard with soft beige background, dark grey text, and 3-4 clearly separated sections 4. User Control Default to sound off. Allow people to pause, stop, or disable animations. Why: Sensory needs vary greatly, and customization prevents overload. Example: Toggles for reduced motion, dark mode, font size, and autoplay off by default. 5. Predictable Interactions Provide clear feedback and progress indicators so users always know where they are. Why: Unexpected interruptions trigger anxiety and break focus. Example: Multi-step form shows "Step 2 of 4" with a progress bar, confirms "Your information was saved" after each step. Better design starts with understanding. 👇🏽What would you add to this list? 🔖 Save this for reference ♻️ Share it with your team ---- ✉️ Subscribe for more accessibility and design insights: https://lnkd.in/gZpAzWSu ---- Accessibility note: This infographic, titled Designing for Autism has the same content as the post. It also includes alt text.

Why inclusion and universal design need to come together We often hear organisations talk about diversity and inclusion. Yet inclusion alone isn’t enough if the systems we work within were never designed with difference in mind. A review by Shore and colleagues (2018) (https://lnkd.in/e6vjNAXM) looked at what makes workplaces truly inclusive. They emphasised fairness, authenticity, and equal access to opportunities. Their model shows that inclusion is not just about who is in the workforce, but whether everyone feels respected, valued, and able to participate fully. But here’s the challenge: many workplace practices are retrofits. Adjustments are made once someone discloses a need or points out a barrier. That can work but it’s often costly, time-consuming, and can unintentionally stigmatise the individual. This is where Universal Design (UD) comes in. Instead of waiting to respond, UD builds accessibility, flexibility, and usability into everyday business-as-usual. It reduces the number of case-by-case “fixes” by planning for variation from the outset. For example: Providing captions and transcripts in training as standard helps Deaf staff, those learning English, and anyone re-watching on mute. Clear communication, step-by-step checklists, and structured task tools reduce overload not only for neurodivergent employees but for everyone. Designing sensory-friendly workspaces supports those with sensory sensitivities—and also improves focus and wellbeing for the whole team. So how do the two approaches differ and align? Inclusion models focus on culture: creating fairness, authenticity, and psychological safety. Universal Design focuses on structures: embedding accessibility and flexibility into systems, tools, and environments. Bringing them together means leaders shape workplaces that are both fair and functional, inclusive and accessible. For employers, this isn’t just the right thing to do it’s efficient. Many UD approaches are low or no cost, but they reduce duplication, improve resilience, and make personalised support less stigmatising. 👉 Take away.... Inclusive practices creates the right mindset; Universal Design creates the mechanisms. Together, they help us move from patching barriers to preventing them.

Art isn’t just for decoration, it’s a powerful tool to reimagine how we see, feel, and belong in the spaces around us. I recently came across Project Udaan, a heartfelt initiative by Asian Paints in collaboration with St+art India, and it’s completely reshaped the way I think about design, especially in learning spaces. Project Udaan isn’t just about beautifying a learning space, it’s about transforming it into sensory-friendly sanctuaries for children with neurodiversity, including those on the autism spectrum and children with diverse sensory, cognitive, and learning needs. This space doesn’t just look different, they feel different. Artists Anikesa Dhing and Amrit Khurana have breathed life into these learning spaces with murals that speak to calm, connection, and imagination. Textured walls featuring Royale Play finishes, matte pastel emulsions, and tactile Nilaya fabrics and wallpapers create a sensory-rich environment that promotes visual comfort, tactile stimulation, and calming effects. Here’s why it moved me: 1. Environment-first inclusion: Instead of asking students to adapt, the learning space adapts to them. Its empathy turned into design. 2. Sensory design: Every texture, colour, and material is chosen with care, making the environment feel intuitive and supportive for children with neurodiversity including those on the autism spectrum as well as others with varied sensory, cognitive, and learning needs. As someone who’s always believed in the emotional and healing power of design, this initiative stays with me. It’s a reminder: true design doesn’t just include, it embraces. What if every school felt like this? What if we didn’t just design for accessibility, but for belonging? #DrishtiISpeaks #ProjectUdaan #AsianPaints #StartIndia #NilayaWalls #AnikesaDhing #AmritKhurana #InclusiveDesign #Neurodiversity #ArtForChange #DesignWithPurpose #ad

Shopping centres must become experiential arenas! The term ‘experiential arenas’ comes from Diana Teixeira Pinto and aligns with my view of how to design worlds not spaces. So how do we transform spaces into worlds? Here are some of my top design principles for executing successful Experiential Arenas: Build Worlds, Not Spaces Design destinations that transport people into new realities, not just corridors of commerce. Colour as Energy Bold, surprising palettes and patterns that lift mood and inject personality into every corner. Wellness in Motion Seating that heals, greenery that breathes, zones that invite pause and reset through biophilic design. Shopping should restore, not exhaust. Fill the Forgotten Atriums, rooftops, stairwells, and voids become playgrounds for art, light, and imagination. Sensory Immersion Use sound, scent, light, and texture as storytelling layers to spark memory and emotion. Everywhere’s a canvas Turn escalators, walkways, and food courts into theatres for entertainment, surprise, and play. Participation Over Passivity Invite people to co-create through interactive art, digital play, gamified shopping, and communal rituals. Play is Serious Business Design joy into the architecture: swings as benches, slides as shortcuts, playful touchpoints everywhere. Local Stories, Global Scale Embed local culture, artists, and narratives, then amplify them into experiences with global resonance. Micro-Magic Surprise through small details like bins that talk, ceilings that glow, restrooms that delight. Fluid & Ever-Changing Keep spaces alive with rotating installations, seasonal scenography, and pop-up moments of wonder. Sustainable Spectacle Awe doesn’t need waste: design modular, reusable, and eco-conscious experiences that wow responsibly. Community as Stage Curate experiences where people become part of the show — from live performance to collaborative design. Memory is the Metric Success isn’t footfall, it’s stories: people leave with moments worth retelling, not just receipts. Elena Knezović #retail #architecture #interior #design

Synesthetic Touch. If you've ever ditched a ketchup brand because the bottle inner seal put up a fight, you've felt the grip of packaging design on your senses. More like packaging design failing your senses. Bad design is everywhere, and once you notice it, you can't unsee it. Jammed pumps. Impossible caps. No-grip shampoo bottles. Tiny annoyances that chip away at the brand experience. Synesthetic design is the fix. Packaging that works WITH you, not against you. It taps into multiple senses at once, making everyday interactions feel effortless. The idea comes from synesthesia, where one sense triggers another to create a fuller experience. Fanta leaned into this back in 2018. They didn't just tweak the label. They reshaped the bottle to feel like squeezing an orange. Instantly recognisable. Fun to hold. Impossible to confuse. Branding you can feel. Aesthetics can only carry a brand so far. Looks might sell a product once, but if the packaging is frustrating to use, consumers won't be back. Think about crisp packaging that crackles like a fire every time you reach in. Annoying enough to make you rethink snack time. Or shampoo bottles that're impossible to grip when wet, turning every shower into a test of strength. Not worth the effort. Synesthetic design asks better questions. Does this feel right in the hand? Is it easy to open, hold, pour, carry? Is it made for how people actually live? Size, weight, grip, and usability all matter. A brand designing for a 20-year-old man can't just slap a pink label on the same packaging and expect it to work for a 60-year-old woman. Can these consumers open it easily? Does it feel natural to use? And then there's sensory dominance. Sometimes one sense leads the way. What we see, feel, or hear takes over depending on the product and moment. Think about buying shoes. In store, it's all about how they look. Style, colour, brand. But once they're home, comfort rules. If they rub, pinch, or feel wrong, they're done. They'll sit at the back of the wardrobe no matter how good they look. That balance matters. Nail it, and you don't just sell. You connect. Ignore it and you lose consumers fast. So, as you walk through the park tonight, notice how your body responds. The air, the sounds, the ground beneath your feet. Good design is no different. It's not just about what we see. It's about how it feels to use. That's the bar. Ever brought synesthetic thinking into your design process?

Something I wish more people understood about offices is this: For many #neurodivergent people, the workday starts before the work does. It starts with bright lights, overlapping conversations, chair noise, footsteps, smells, background music, and the constant effort of filtering it all out. By the time the actual job begins, a lot of energy is already gone. This isn’t about being sensitive. It’s about cumulative load. And the good news is, a lot of that load is optional. Simple things help more than people realize. → Keeping shared spaces quiet and moving calls into separate rooms. → Normalizing headphones instead of ambient music. → Letting people dress for comfort, not conformity. → Offering quieter places to eat when cafeterias get overwhelming. → Designating a low-stimulation space to decompress, softer lighting, and somewhere to breathe. → Replacing harsh fluorescent lights with natural light where possible. These aren’t perks. They’re accessibility choices. What building Mentra has taught me is that most people don’t struggle because they can’t do the work. They struggle because the environment keeps draining them before they even get a chance. When we design spaces that reduce sensory friction, people don’t just cope better, they think more clearly, collaborate more intentionally, and stay longer. Calmer environments create better work. What’s one sensory stressor in your workplace that could be softened with a small change?