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Accessibility used to mean compliance. An installed grab bar, an added ramp, a resized font. But meeting physical standards is only half the challenge. The other half, the part that truly changes lives, is how design makes people feel. Thats where emotional accessibility comes in. Its what Michael Graves taught us to do 40 years ago. We believe it is the next frontier of design: creating experiences that dont just accommodate users but also affirm, reassure, and delight them. When we talk about accessibility, were really talking about belonging. And belonging is emotional. A product can meet every ergonomic and ADA guideline yet still make someone feel excluded and unhappy. Poor design like this eliminates a products potential utility gain, if the experience of using it blocks adoption. Conversely, an object thats emotionally intuitive, clear, comforting, and joyful, invites people in before they ever touch it. For instance, we think about the affect our products will have when someone is out using them. We want the response a C-Grip Cane user gets from others to be ooooh nice product rather than awwww whats wrong? At Michael Graves Design, weve spent decades proving that good design isnt a luxury; its a right. But as the democratization of design has evolved, so too have consumer expectations. People no longer want just functional enhancement; they want emotional inclusion. They want to feel seen and feel good. THE LIMITS OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN These are the well-known Seven Principles of Universal Design: equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive operation, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and appropriate size and space. They remain foundational to accessibility and their influence on architecture, product design, and public spaces is profound. But heres the paradox. Products that fully embody those principles often work well, yet fail to connect. They can feel sterile, institutional, even medicalized. Users may appreciate their utility but reject them emotionally. The result is a design ironyperfectly universal products that no one wants to use. Universal Design succeeds at the bottom of Maslows hierarchy of needs, addressing physiological and safety needs. But to destigmatize aging and disability, and to earn genuine consumer buy-in, design must move up the pyramid, to love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Thats where emotional accessibility lives. It bridges the gap between function and feeling, making accessible products not just usable, but desirable, just like every great consumer product. DESIGN FOR THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID Heres how we approach it at Michael Graves Design. We begin with empathy and end with emotion. We ask not only how a product works, but how it feels to use it. Our line of bathroom safety products for Pottery Barn meets ADA and Universal Design benchmarks. But it also meets a higher human need: dignity. By integrating safety into standard objects like towel bars and toilet paper holders, and by designing with finishes like polished nickel and matte blackmaterials associated with lifestyle-based bathroom design, not limitationwe transformed necessary aids into objects people want in their homes. Customers tell us they feel proud of these pieces. Emotional connection leads to real adoption, which means the products actually achieved their purpose. Emotional accessibility doesnt just enhance desirability, it is the key that unlocks utility. WHY FEELINGS ARE FUNCTIONAL The case for emotional accessibility isnt sentimental; its strategic. As AI and automation permeate all facets of life, including product design, consumers crave something technology cant simulate: empathy. Brands that design for emotion build trust and loyalty. Think OXOs Good Grips, which made universally loved ergonomic tools, or Apples tactile, intuitive products that make people feel capable rather than confused. These succeed because they feel human. Emotional accessibility acknowledges that comfort, delight, and pride arent luxuries. Theyre essential enablers of adoption. When people feel good using a product, they use it more often, for longer, and with deeper attachment. These are the highest benchmarks in brand building. COMPLETE THE UNIVERSAL DESIGN FRAMEWORK Emotional accessibility doesnt replace Universal Design; it completes it. Together, they meet the full range of human needs, from survival to self-expression. Here are three ways to integrate it into any design process: 1. Design with emotional verbs In every design brief, define not only what the product does, but how it should make people feel. Should it reassure? Inspire? Empower? Delight? These verbs guide form, material, and personality. 2. Prototype for emotion Test for more than usability. Observe posture, expression, and language. Ask, How did this make you feel? Answers like comfortable or proud, as compared to stable or competent, show that the product has reached higher up Maslows pyramid. 3. Translate dignity into design language Balanced proportions, tactile warmth, and intuitive gestures communicate respect. They tell users, You belong here. THE FUTURE OF ACCESSIBLE DESIGN The Seven Principles of Universal Design built the foundation for access in the built environment. Emotional accessibility adds to that foundation to create connection. As AI accelerates efficiency, the next design revolution cant just be faster, it must be warmer, an essential human contribution. If Universal Design made products usable by everyone, emotional accessibility will make them desirable to everyone. Its how we move from safety to self-expression, from compliance to connection, from design that works to design that cares. Because in the end, the most universal design is the one that makes everyone feel welcome and represented. Ben Wintner is CEO of Michae Graves Design.
Category:
E-Commerce
If you were to join a team meeting at Parity on any given day, you might sense something unusual. One colleague may have just returned from a strength session. Another might be joining from an airport between competitions. Someone else might be analyzing sponsor data mere hours before competing in a world-class event. This is what it looks like to lead a company where a significant portion of the workforce comprises elite women athletes. And I believe it represents a powerful window into the future of work. At most companies, people point to a visionary founder or a breakthrough product as the thing that makes an organization stand out. At Parity, the differentiator is the people themselves. Our team includes a current WNBA player, a Canadian two-time Olympic runner, a nine-time U.S. waterskiing champion, a former NWSL soccer player, and a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in sitting volleyball. Others have competed professionally in pro tackle football and track and field (including pole vault). Twenty-six percent of our team even have Wikipedia entries (and no, Im not one of them). While some team members have retired from sport, many still train and compete at the highest levels while simultaneously shaping our business strategy. They broker partnerships with esteemed brands like Microsoft, M&T Bank, LinkedIn, and AdventHealth. They manage our community of 1,200 pro women athletes while developing smart content and winning creative strategies for clients. And they bring a lived understanding of what it means to operate under pressure, to persevere, to adapt, and to collaboratethe very skills business leaders often spend years trying to cultivate inside corporate environments. WHY WE HIRE ATHLETES When I joined Parity, our mission was clear: Close the income and opportunity gap for women athletes. That mission shapes everything, including how we think about talent. If were going to build a company dedicated to advancing women in sports, why wouldnt we build it with women in sports? Every athlete who joins our team brings something that leaders often talk about but rarely see themselves: firsthand experience with inequity. Our own research underscores the challenges professional women athletes face. 58% earn under $25,000 annually from their sport 50% dont net income after training and competition expenses Many juggle full-time jobs while maintaining elite training schedules These athletes arent theoretically aware of the pay gaptheyve lived it. Theyre not generically familiar with underinvestmenttheyve had to fight through it. And them having lived the reality of our mission creates a real workforce advantage. When a brand asks how to build authentic partnerships with women athletes, our team can speak from experiencesometimes literally from the Olympic Village. When we advise marketers on what resonates with womens sports fans, our experts understand the community because they are part of it. This model isnt manufactured through training sessions or leadership offsites. Its the natural outcome of building a company around people with lived expertise. THE ATHLETE ADVANTAGE One of the most important things Ive learned as a CEO is that skills do not automatically translate across contextsbut values and instincts do. Elite athletes possess certain foundational strengths that prove invaluable in business: Resilience. Athletes experience failure and setbacks more frequentlyand more publiclythan most professionals ever will. They do not crumble when they lose. They study. They iterate. They try again. This mentality fuels a culture of experimentation and growth at Parity. Adaptability. When you compete on the world stage, you get used to constant change: Schedules shift, travel goes awry, bodies dont always cooperate. Adaptability becomes a core competency. In a fast-moving, early-stage company, that skill is priceless. Team mindset. Elite women athletes in particular know the experience of achieving something remarkable with scarce resources. They understand the power of collaboration and the importance of elevating others. That ethos is foundational to how we operate. Pressure performance. Athletes are accustomed to performing with something on the line. In business, pressure often derails people. For our athlete-employees, it sharpens them. When people ask me how Parity has built deep credibility in the womens sports ecosystem in such a short time, the answer is simple: Credibility builds when the people driving the strategy are the very people whose lives and livelihoods the strategy touches. REINVENT WHAT WORK CAN LOOK LIKE Were living through a generational shift in how people think about leadership and talent. The rise of multi-hyphenate careers, nonlinear professional paths, and values-driven workforces are reshaping traditional corporate norms. Paritys model sits at the intersection of these trends. Our team members dont have to choose between competing at the highest level and building a career. They can do both, because our flexible model makes part-time work an option for those at the height of their athletic careers, when 40-hour weeks arent feasible. When organizations allow flexibility, the outcomes are profound: stronger culture, greater loyalty, and better results. A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE Not every company will hire Olympians or Paralympians. But every company can learn from the underlying philosophy: The most powerful innovation occurs when the workforce reflects the mission. If youre a healthcare company, hire people who have navigated the healthcare system. If youre building products for parents, bring caregivers into leadership roles. If your mission is environmental sustainability, elevate people who have worked on the front lines of climate impact. Experience breeds insight. Insight breeds innovation. Innovation breeds impact. At Parity, integrating athletes into our workforce hasnt just strengthened our business. It has created a culture defined by resilience, empathy, excellence, and purpose. It has helped us close the opportunity gap in womens sportsnot just through partnerships and research, but through the very structure of our company. If the future of work is about rethinking who gets to participate, whose experiences shape strategy, and whose voices fuel innovation, then companies everywhere would benefit from following the athlete playbook. Which, if you ask me, is a winning strategy. Leela Srinivasan is CEO of Parity.
Category:
E-Commerce
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