Universal Design

Universal design is a relatively new paradigm that emerged from " barrier-free " or " accessible design " and " assistive technology ." Universal design strives to be a broad-spectrum solution that produces buildings, products and environments that are usable and effective for everyone, not just people with disabilities. Moreover, it recognizes the importance of how things look. For example, while built up handles are a way to make utensils more usable for people with gripping limitations, some companies introduced larger, easy to grip and attractive handles as feature of mass produced utensils. They appeal to a wide range of consumers.

As life expectancy rises and modern medicine has increased the survival rate of those with significant injuries, illnesses and birth defects, there is a growing interest in universal design. There are many industries in which universal design is having strong market penetration but there are many others in which it has not yet been adopted to any great extent.

Universal design is a part of everyday living and is all around us. The " undo " command in most software products is a good example. Color-contrast dish ware with steep sides that assist those with visual problems as well as those with dexterity problems are another. Additional examples include cabinets with pull-out shelves, kitchen counters at several heights to accommodate different tasks and postures and low-floor buses that kneel and are equipped with ramps rather than lifts.

Fra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_design

Universal Design betyr forenklet sagt god design for alle, uavhengig av deres evner og ferdigheter. Mange av dagens produkter er spesifikt tilpasset til bestemte brukergrupper, noe som ofte utelukker andre brukergrupper. Med Universal Design ønsker man å inkludere flest mulige grupper.

For eksempel er trapper spesielt tilrettelagt for fotgjengere, mens både sykkelister og rullestolbrukere er utelukket. En typisk universell design løsning er i dette tilfellet å anlegge en rampe ved siden av trappen.

Uten tvil er Universal Design - universell utforming - et konsept som vil få økt betydning for de aller fleste bransjer som leverer produkter og tjenester til mer enn en spesifikk brukergruppe.

Miljøverndepartementet jobber med en handlingsplan og pilotprosjekter.

http://www.universell-utforming.miljo.no/

Norsk designråd har utgitt en side med relevante lenker:

http://www.norskdesign.no/video/inclusive-design-conference-2008-article9444-636.html

Universal Design har noen fellestrekk med et annet designkonsept: Simplicity.

Ta kontakt dersom du ønsker å drøfte et prosjekt innen Universal Design.

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