What is inclusive design?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what inclusive design is and why it matters for mental health and wellbeing.
Key learning points
- Inclusive design considers human differences, including mental health and wellbeing, going beyond basic accessibility.
- Inclusive products are designed with flexibility to adapt and meet diverse individual needs.
Keywords
Inclusive design - designing products, spaces or services that work for as many people as possible, considering different abilities, needs, and experiences
Accessible design - designing specifically to remove barriers so people with disabilities can use a product, space or service
Mental health - a person’s emotional, psychological, and social state, which affects how they think, feel, and act
Wellbeing - the state of feeling healthy, happy, and comfortable in everyday life
Flexibility - the ability of a product or space to be adjusted or adapted so it can meet different people’s needs
Common misconception
Inclusive design and accessible design are the same thing.
Accessible design is about making sure people with disabilities can use something. Inclusive design is about making sure everyone can use it, by thinking about all kinds of differences, including mental health and wellbeing.
Teacher tip
Use case studies, personas, or fictional scenarios rather than asking students to share personal experiences. This keeps the discussion safe and inclusive, while still helping students build empathy and understand diverse user needs.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Designers need to consider the needs of the when designing a product.
Q2.Match the design term to its meaning:
an early version of a product to test ideas
thought or suggestion for solving a problem
opinions from others to improve a design
Q3.What is a key step in the design process?
Q4.Which of these shows good design thinking?
Q5.Match the design term to its meaning:
what the product is meant to do
how a product looks or feels
what the people using the product require or expect
Q6. is the study of designing products or spaces so they are comfortable and safe for the people who use them.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these best describes inclusive design?
Q2.Match each keyword to the correct definition:
the ability of a product or space to adapt to different needs
how comfortable, safe, and healthy a person feels
a person’s emotional and psychological state
Q3.Which of these is an example of flexibility in design?
Q4.Which of the following statements is correct?
Q5.Which product feature best supports wellbeing?
Q6.Design that removes barriers so specific groups of people can use products or spaces is called design.
To help you plan your 10 design and technology lesson on: What is inclusive design?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 design and technology lesson on: What is inclusive design?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 design and technology lessons from the Inclusive Design: Mental Health and Wellbeing unit, dive into the full secondary design and technology curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.