Domain 4: Adaptive and Assistive Technology

45 Industrial and Artisanal Design

In industrial design, the physical design of products for (typically mass) manufacturing, accessibility considerations are increasingly a driver of innovation.[1]  Industrial design’s adoption of principles of universal design, inclusive design and human-centered design is helping to create products and environments that are more accessible and usable for people with disabilities.

Many start-up communities, libraries, and colleges and universities have been launching makerspaces, physical spaces where artisans and learners in the community can gather and share resources and knowledge, work on projects, and build. Universal design considerations are especially critical in such spaces, as access to such settings is essential to creating and prototype user-designed solutions.


  1. McKinsey and Company. (2020, October 19). Drive innovation with accessible product design. Designisms [blog]. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-design/how-we-help-clients/design-blog/drive-innovation-with-accessible-product-design

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