Recently, I came across two successful cases in accessibility. One of them was Degree’s[1] accessible deodorant, created especially for people with visual impairment and upper limb mobile disabilities. This case won the Innovation Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021.
The other one is a little older, but it just happened to appear in my LinkedIn feed yesterday: Liftware’s[2] stabilizing and leveling handles and attachments, that are designed to help people with hand tremor or limited hand and arm mobility to eat without spilling the food from the cutlery. The first thing that comes to my mind is: “This is genius. Why has nobody thought of it before?” and then the next thing that comes to my mind is, “Oh my. How did they live without these products? For how long have they been struggling without them?”.
And now I can only think about the role that market research plays in the development of accessible products and services, like the two mentioned above, the opportunity it has to significantly improve people’s quality of life and, most importantly, contribute to a more fair and equitable society.
Market research done today is not inclusive.
“One important way to change invisibility is to seek out the perspectives of people who are, or risk being, the most excluded by a solution. Often, the people who carry the greatest burden of exclusion also have the greatest insight into how to shift design toward inclusion.”[3] — Kat Holmes, Mismatch
Products and services are developed for the majority, for the simple fact that minority groups (involving ability status, age, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, and so on) are often not included in the creation process. Diversity and inclusion initiatives are something that has only recently started to be implemented in companies[4], the diversity of researchers in a project is not prioritized, the recruitment of samples most of the time does not include underrepresented groups[5]… So the outcome is naturally skewed in favor of the majority. Even though there are products and services targeted for specific consumer needs, these are considered niche, and inclusive design is not just about appealing to a certain demographic of consumers, it’s also about interrogating the shortcomings of its current design and how it is not serving all consumers as best that it could be. As researchers, we need to constantly challenge our biases and remember that not all people experience products and services in the same way.
Why is it important?
According to the latest Census Bureau projections, minorities (women, persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities) will represent 56% of the United States population by 2060[6]. If those companies who don’t consider these groups continue to not include them in their planning and research, they will end up not meeting the needs and individualities of more than half of the population, losing sales opportunities and even credibility, by practicing exclusion of people. It’s not “just” a matter of justice advocacy and philanthropy, but also a best practice for business.
We’re all in this together.
Nowadays, consumers are extremely demanding about the positioning and actions of companies. They are quick to criticize those who use exclusive language or for not adapting their products and services to cater underrepresented groups. At the same time, people are identifying shallow attempts to appeal to diverse audiences, demanding legitimacy in the initiatives. Companies that have been successful in their actions regarding diversity demonstrate their commitment to creating real change by including minority groups in numerous areas, including market research, and partnering with organizations to empower and support them. Some other ways to put inclusivity into practice are:
- Exploring ways to make adaptive changes that serve minority groups, showing a true understanding of their challenges and needs.
- Including insights and asking for feedback from the underserved communities to understand what kind of products and services would best meet their needs, how they would like to be addressed or portrayed in ads, and so on.
- Including people with diverse characteristics and backgrounds in the team and diverse consumers in the creation of new products and services, to ensure that these meet their current needs.
I know this is easier said than done.
Inclusive research is more expensive, it can take more time than usual, and more attention to detail too. But it leads to better insights, caters a broader audience, and results in inclusive products and services, which helps some consumers retain dignity, confidence, and even independence. Providing value to these consumers by addressing their real needs – in the form of experience, functionality, support, information and accessibility – will prove to be crucial for brands in this space.
What you can do to start changing this scenario:
- Hire inclusively: as a first step towards creating an inclusive research space, review your hiring practices to ensure that you are reaching and appealing to collaborators from all walks of life.
- Be an advocate: mindful advocacy requires calling out implicit bias in any research proposal, bringing to your clients’ attention the people whose perspectives we risk leaving out, and giving clear recommendations for how to make a study more inclusive.
- Foster continuous (self-)education: to build a truly inclusive workplace and research practice means to question what we think we know – continuously. Encourage your researchers to educate themselves on questions of diversity, equality, and inclusion consistently, one method being by giving them time, space and resources to have regular discussions and exchanges.
- Be an active listener: provide spaces and channels for minority groups to give their opinions and be listened.
[1] “Degree Launches Accessible Deodorant To Serve People … – Forbes.” Accessed August 17, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/soniathompson/2021/04/30/degree-launches-accessible-deodorant-to-serve-people-with-disabilities/.
[2] “The Liftware Store.” Accessed August 17, 2021. https://store.liftware.com/.
[3] “Amazon.com: Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design (Simplicity ….” Accessed August 17, 2021. https://www.amazon.com/Mismatch-Inclusion-Simplicity-Technology-Business/dp/0262038889.
[4] “Companies make bold promises about diversity, but there’s a long ….” Accessed August 26, 2021. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/11/companies-are-making-bold-promises-about-greater-diversity-theres-a-long-way-to-go.html.
[5] “How to recognize exclusion – Fast Company.” Accessed August 26, 2021. https://www.fastcompany.com/90545473/to-be-more-inclusive-you-need-to-understand-exactly-what-exclusion-looks-like.
[6] “Introduction – Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in ….” Accessed August 13, 2021. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/digest/introduction.
