A MINUTE OR REFLECTION FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS
good design
and for all
THINKING OF DIVERSITY, A POSITIVE, CREATIVE AND USEFUL CONTRIBUTION

A MINUTE OF REFLECTION FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS
good design
and for all
THINKING OF DIVERSITY, A POSITIVE, CREATIVE AND USEFUL CONTRIBUTION
Joan Clos i Matheu – Mayor of Barcelona
In 2003 the European Year for People with Disabilities and the Year of Design coincided and
the Barcelona City Council wanted to take advantage of this coincidence to develop the promise
to improve accessibility in the city with actions that promote and stimulate the concept of
design for all.
This was also the main aim of the co-operation agreement between the City Council, represented
by the Institut de Cultura de Barcelona (ICUB) and the Institut Municipal de Persones amb
Disminució (IMD), the Comitè Català de Representants de Minusvàlids (COCARMI) and the  Foment
de les Arts Decoratives (FAD).
This agreement pretends to create synergies and collaborations between the agents who are
involved in the issues that are of interest to the citizens and, more specifically, to people with
disabilities.
The brochure we offer you is the result of this collaboration and it pretends to sensitise professionals
of the different design disciplines –graphic design, visual arts, crafts, architecture, fashion,
jewellery, furniture and industrial design- of the necessity, the responsibility and the compromise
we all have in society to develop spaces, services, implements and products that are easy to
manage for everybody.
I hope this document will be a source of reflection for design professionals and that it may give
them a new perspective in their creative and productive process towards design for all.
3
Pedro Serra i Rodríguez – President COCARMI
COCARMI celebrates the publication of this document that contains the basic principles and concepts
of design for all, representing the incorporation of the concept of diversity in the creative process
of everything that surrounds us, which improves accessibility, the use and enjoying of the resources,
spaces and services by everybody, as well as the expression of the universal acknowledgement of
the right of equality and non-discrimination for all human beings.
Moreover this initiative is the result of the good work performed by the City Administration, the
FAD and the organised civil society as part of the European Year for People with Disabilities.
Accessibility is the chain that makes us all one.
4
Oscar Guayabero – Curator Any del Disseny
The main raison d’être of design is to offer a service to society. Often this service implies an
improvement of the people’s quality of life. From the very beginning of our existence we human
beings have been forced to invent “prostheses” to solve our important privations related to nature
and, presently, it is us, designers and architects, who conceive these solutions that facilitate life
as we know it. So now is the time to offer a service to society in the knowledge that this society
is a diverse, rich and heterogeneous reality.
The coincidence of the European Year for People with Disabilities and the Year of Design has
generated some very interesting collaborations and with this publication we invite you to reflect
on this matter and on what we can contribute in our position of designers to improve the lives
of people who for some reason, age, physical or mental state, culture, abilities etc., are often
ignored whenever products or objects are produced.
We hope that you will be fascinated just like we ourselves are by this concept of Design for all
that offers us a huge amount of creative possibilities and that implies new and exciting challenges.
This is how we will be capable of creating a more pleasant environment for the citizens and a
righteous and human society. You are invited!
5
HUMAN
The human being creates for the human being.
Man, woman, person. Diversity...
Childhood, adolescence, maturity, old age. Diversity...
People who are tall, small, fat, thin. Diversity...
Temporary or definitive limitations.  Diversity...
NOW IT IS DARK, I CAN’T SEE WELL
READ ME THAT FOR ME, I’M NOT WEARING MY GLASSES
WAIT A SECOND, I’M CARRYING THE KID
I BROKE MY LEG AND I CAN’T GET ON
I WENT OUT YESTERDAY AND I’M HAVING A HANG-OVER ...
I DON’T UNDERSTAND, IT IS WRITTEN IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE
IT WAS WRITTEN BY SOMEONE WITH OTHER OPINIONS
DIFFERENT TO MINE
HOW ON EARTH DO YOU OPEN THIS?
I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO PROGRAM MY VCR!...
Vision of the future,
market, economy. Utility, comfort, usefulness,
Seel more. security, sustainability, success...
Many people.
Diversity...
Useful design ,for all.
Good design  for  all
The text on the last two pages, with its poetic expressions, offers us a visual
interpretation that maintains or emphasises the communicative value. The
publication you are holding pretends to promote Design for All and to give an
example of limit reading conditions –legibility for as many people as possible-
 andit  serves as an expression of the fact that graphic development is also
related to the context of diversity.
I'm sory dear, we
don't sell size s
over 36. Being fat 
isn't in... 
Have you tried 
"big size" shops?
:-) HISTORICAL OPPORTUNITY, LOGICAL EVOLUTION To reflect on...
Man has been focussing on himself throughout history. This way Human diversity
we have evolved from a clearly theological society to a humanist Principle of life, of
society. values, relations,responsability and
cohabitation.
Now another change is taking place and we believe Barriers
it is interesting getting to know this change. It is These are the elements
about taking into account human diversity as an in the surroundings ofa person that limit his
enriching aspect in the creative process of design. functioning and create
disabilities.
Now another change is taking place and we believe it is interesting Architectural
getting to know this change. It is about taking into account human barriers
diversity as an enriching aspect in the creative process of design. They are the
impediments,
Because the conception of the human being isn’t just one. It is hindrances or physical
diverse. And now with the change of the century people have obstacles (related to
understood in a systematic way that diversity is a fact and that urbanism, building or
taking this diversity into consideration benefits and refreshes our transport) that restrict
conceptual ideas. It won’t be long until we won’t be able to or impede people’sliberty to move.
understand products with little consideration for a wide range of
people with different abilities.
11
... HISTORICAL OPPORTUNITY, LOGICAL EVOLUTION
Barriers of This conscience of diversity has also undergone evolution. We
communication have shifted from the simple concept of Architectural Barriers,
They are the identified with users with physical disabilities and integrated in
impediments for the
expression and reception the field of architecture, to a second level we will call Accessibility
of messages. and which includes a wider range of users, projects, environmental
Accessibility architecture, the product object, transport etc. Another phase has
The feature of urbanism, begun some time ago already. It is the present concept of Design
building, transport or for All that offers a support to diversity related to physical,
the media that allow psychological or cultural appearance, not only as a standard but
each person to use then. also as a work philosophy.
Design
“The solution mankind The coincidence in 2003 of the Year of Design and the European
has disposed of from the
very beginning to Year for People with Disabilities turns this into the perfect moment
overcome his important to introduce this idea in the world of design and to confirm it in
shortcomings related to the field of architecture.
nature, now a way to
understand life”.
(André Ricard)
12
(:-) UNIVERSAL DESIGN, DESIGN FOR ALL To reflect on...
In the end of the eighties an American architect, Ron. L. Mace, who Users
during most of his life was forced to use a wheelchair, invents the A person who uses a
space, a product or a
term Universal Design. service.
If we resum his theories we can say that Universal EIDD
European Institute for
design and the spaces that are useful to everybody in Design and Disability.
the broadest sense of the world, excluding adaptations www.design-for-all.org
or specialised designs and without supposing excessively Improvements
elevated extra investment. Universal Design benefits The improvement of the
users of all ages and levels of ability. function and/oraesthetics of a product
or service according to
In Europe and by means of the EIDD, these concepts are developed as the real necessities of
the user.
Design for All and now we wish to promote its use in the worlds of design,
architecture and engineering because we believe it can cause a new
vision of diversity.
A number of principles are developed that establish the basic guidelines
for the necessary and sufficient improvements in order to increase the
number of users and that, at the same time, also offer substantial benefits.
13
... UNIVERSAL DESIGN, DESIGN FOR ALL
CEAPAT These principles, which we believe should be revised constantly,
Centro Estatal de should be interpreted positively because they benefit and enrich
Autonomía Personal
y Ayudas Técnicas the product and its target and they never represent a restrictive
www.ceapat.org lecture.
The Center for
Universal Design In the websites mentioned further on these principles are summed
www.design.ncsu.edu/ up.
cud
CRID Some of the most significant principles are resumed in the epilogue
Consorci de Recursos of this pamphlet.
i Documentació per a
la Diversitat
www.diba.es/crid
Design for All
Foundation
www.designforall.org
ECA
European Concept for
Accessibility Network
www.eca.lu
Fundació Sidar
www.sidar.org/recur/
desdi/usable/dudt 14
*:-) MENTAL PROCESS OF INVOLVEMENT To reflect on...
We invite you to work with this concept, not in a punctual way, but Think
developing a way of thinking, a working process of continuous “Stop, then start again.
improvement. An restless and creative mind like yours can’t turn its That is thinking!”
back to a reflection that is so evident, fruitful, profitable and with (Paul Valery)
a human charge that dignifies the profession with a dimension that Profit
benefits society and itself. Gain, profit caused by a
fact, a thing.
AND I, WHAT CAN I DO?
Very simple.
In the design process you can include the basic wheter
people with more restrictions and the extremes of
diversity in our society, both morphological and cultural,
will be able to use them.
15
... AND I, WHAT CAN I DO?
Ability If we observe this diversity and collectives with less abilities or
Capacity, mastery to do of the less favoured we obtain two achievements: make the product
something. foer everybody and offer improvements to the user.
All
Means for everybody What is useful foe people with disabilities is also useful for all
without eception. the other users, even with better results.
Disability
It’s a generic term that
includes losses,
limitations in the
activity ans restrictions
in the participation.
shows the negative
aspects of the
interaction between the
person and the
environmental and
personal factors.
16
Only one thing is
more narrow than
a badly designed
door of an elevator
the mind of th is
architect.
:~) WORK FOR EVERYBODY To reflect on...
The accessibility, use and enjoying of the products is for everybody: BBAA
public administrations, private companies, technical and design Architectural barriers.
personal and, finally, the users and consumers that should participate
Designers
in the design process in a direct or indirect way.
“Who believes that the
final target of design is
The public administrations are making an effort to develop the the shape and its
respective programmes of elimination of BBAA in order to guarantee context”.
some minimum parameters of mobility and first-level personal (Chistopher Alexander)
independence, which are indispensable for great parts of the “A person who thinks
population with less possibilities and who therefore suffer serious before he handles. He
risks of exclusion. designs, imagines anddescribes so that the
things can be realised”.
 (Juli Capella)
But now we should incorporate accessibility measures “A designer with an
in the creative and productive process of designers in aesthetic sensibility who
works for the
all disciplines. community”.
(Bruno Munari)
19
... WORK FOR EVERYBODY
Designers All technicians and creators that are able to foresee a diversity of
“Who thimks in the abilities of the potential user and in the use of the product; one
same way the collective way or another are assuring the future of their creations, of the
does”. projects and de products, with the expansion of future markets that
(Giuseppe Pagano)
have been excluded until now, but without losing the existing
“Society demands high markets.
moral and social
responsibility to the Unfortunately this hasn’t been taught to us. This is why our work
designer. It also
demands a major to divulge these ideas will only become unnecessary when in our
understanding of the educational processes, in our technical schools and universities
people...”. diversity and the profits of its application are dealt with adequately.
(Victor Papanek)
“He who seeks a
harmonic relation
between production and
culture”.
(Alberto Rosselli)
20
;-) INCORPORATION OF THE USERS IN THE DESIGN PROCESS To reflect on...
It is clear that the most profitable strategy is to conceive the goods Ergonomics
and services thinking and identifying with the people who will use Contributes to design and
to the evaluation of the
them. tasks, works, products,
environments and
This is not a recent invention. Ergonomics, CRM systems, design systems to make them
focussed on the user, the polls on the levels of satisfaction, the compatible with the
processes of control, the recollection of indicators, the policy of necessities, abilities andlimitations of the people.
citizen participation, etc. already showed what we now have the
opportunity to explain in a more adequate dimension. CRM SystemsCustomer Relationship
Managenment,
We should eliminate the concept of the “standard this means management
client” and include people who make use of the services based on the client.
and who caused by their restrictions can make us see Design focussed onthe user
improvements that we wouldn’t be able to foresee in Meaning the context of
any other way. the use, i.e. deeply
understanding the user,
the surroundings in
The effort itself is already worth the while, although the aims aren’t which the work and the
achieved or aren’t achieved immediately. We are talking about middle user’s tasks are
or large term profits. developed.
21
No, the humming bird
steak with reduced bitte r
foie was delicious...
it is the chair that is
killing me!
:-) SOCIAL PROFITS: DIRECT AND ALSO INDIRECT To reflect on...
The profits are of an economical nature (amplification Rehabilitation
of the market, amplification of future perspectives) Its function is to recoverthe abilities and it
and they also enrich the creative process, the product contributes to the
and its variants, the satisfaction to amplify improvement of health
and the quality of life.
perspectives and targets etc.
Orthopaedics
The use of wichever type
The indirect benefits or the alien ones can also be observed from of device destined to
two points of view: the social benefit of decreasing assisting design, prevent or to correct any
(rehabilitation, orthopaedic, and specific design tecnologies) disturbances on the
anatomic level of the
in benefit of Design for All in order to improve the quality of life people, in order to
of people with disabilities or who have less possibilities, with the improve the personal
social connotation of the integration and normalisation of their independence.
lives participating in and using the same products or service other Specific design
people use. The design of a product
or of a programme of
specific integral
The secons perspective is that of improving the quality of the lives rehabilitation for each
of the people who surround them. patient.
25
:-( AVOIDING MISTAKEN CONCEPTS To reflect on...
We are not talking about designing for the people with kinetic, Usefullness
visual auditory or psychological disabilities. The quickness and
facility with which
people fulfil their tasks
by using the product-
It is about introducing a positive reflection in the object that is of
design process, thus being able to observe how interest.
markets can be expanded and without increaseing Environment
In the group of people
the cost. who have problems with
interacting with their
In a sufficiently dark sorrounding seach and every one of us has environment we include
the same restrictions as a person with visual disabilities; this is children, pregnant
women, the left-handed,
why every improvement or support that is included for people with the obese, the old-aged,
disabilities will help us all. Similarly in a sufficiently noisy people who use a cart to
environment each and every one of us has the same restrictions go shopping or who carry
as a person with auditory disabilities. And when we carry heavy their babies in carts,people who carry
weight we have the same restrictions as a person with dysfunctions packages and suitcases,
in a hand. This way a great number of everyday situations in wich people with post-
one way or another we are all disabled. traumatic scars of an
accident, physical-kinetic
or psychological   >
27
... AVOIDING MISTAKEN CONCEPTS
diminution, people who As a consequence we are not talking about special
work in limit conditions,
people who are in a devices. Assisting design is a specific field that has
country without speaking nothing to do with Design for All.
its language etc.
 Restrictions The world of design and diversity don’t have to be opposed to one
(of capacity) another, they can and should coincide.
Caused by diseases,
accidents or caused by In the same way we sould forget the idea that adapted design
natural physiologic
ageing. doesn’t have glamour, if that is an excuse in the first place. Definitely
Glamour incorporating the specific necessities of some people in the product
Having an exciting and supposes an improvement for everybody, and we also contribute to
often ephemeral and a better world.
romantic attractive power
in order to fascinate.
28
In this club we don't  
allow anyone ove r
40, they don't go 
with the decoration...
Epilogue: principles of Design for All
In order for a design to be accessible to everybody the suggestions of
the next two pages should be taken into account.
EPILOGUE  PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN FOR ALL
The product should be simple, the The design should respond to a 
elements, useless actions and conceptual model of functioning that
efforts should be reduced to the adapts to the preceding experinece 
minimum. and to the expectations of the person
who has to use it.
The product should adapt to the 
interactive capacities of the users. A clear relation between the systems
of activity should be at the disposal
The design should allow a fast and of the user. A mapping or a map of 
unmistakable perception of how the natural interaction between the
the product should be used. action and the product’s response.
3The system of feedback or retro-action should be foreseen, givinginformation about the state and 
the activity of the product. Flexibility and adaptability are 
required related to the specific 
We should consider the possibility necessities of the people and also
that the users make mistakes or to the use of the accessories.
use the product for unsuspected
purposes. When all this appears to be 
definitely complicated as a last 
The product has to be secure and resort we have the possibility to
reliable, so that ut can be used create standards.
with the confidence that all 
possible causes of an accident 
have been eliminated previously.
Publication and co-ordination
Barcelona City Council
Institut Municipal de Persones amb Disminució
Editorial staff
COCARMI – Comitè Català de Representants de Minusvàlids
CRID – Consorci de Recursos i Documentació per a la Diversitat
FAD – Foment de les Arts Decoratives
GTMA – Grup Municipal de Treball per a la Millora de l’Accessibilitat
IMD – Institut Municipal de Persones amb Disminució de Barcelona
With the co-operation of:
Beppe Benenti – edition and design concept
Jordi Labanda – illustrations
Art Direction and lay out
Boutique Creativa Barcelona
Printing
Gràfiques Ortells, SL
© of the publication Barcelona City Council
D.L.B. 9932-2004
This publication is available on the internet in Catalan, Spanish, English
and in accessible formats on the websites: www.bcn.es/imd and www.fadweb.com
Abril 2004