Mat Garner, Co-Founder of Ethos Farm, an award-winning Employee & Customer Experience Specialist, stresses the importance of knowing and understanding customers in order to design products and services that work for everyone. In today’s competitive environment, customer experience is a key factor that can drive loyalty, growth, and performance for organizations. It is essential to consider a wide range of target customers, including those who may not have consciously considered your organization before, as excluding them in product and service design can lead to missed opportunities and potential problems.
Despite the clear case for inclusive customer experience design, many companies are still not consistently designing products and services to include everyone. Various demographics, such as disabled people, ethnic minorities, and women, have significant spending power that organizations may be missing out on by not designing inclusively. Garner emphasizes the importance of involving diverse perspectives, experiences, and needs in the product and service development process. By conducting thorough research and co-designing with diverse panels of existing and potential customers, organizations can ensure that their products and services are accessible to all.
In addition to designing inclusively for customers, Garner also highlights the importance of designing inclusively for employees. Great customer experiences start with happy and engaged employees who have the necessary tools and technology to do their jobs effectively. Technology has the potential to benefit both employees and customers, but biases held by those who design it can negatively impact inclusivity. Organizations that do not have inclusive environments are less likely to have the diversity needed to design inclusively, leading to negative impacts on employees and customer experiences.
Garner recommends organizations to share their successes and learnings from implementing inclusive design principles widely within the organization. By showcasing the benefits of inclusive design in terms of increased market share, decreased product/service failure rates, improved reputation, and growth, organizations can inspire others to adopt similar practices. While many companies are still not consistently designing products and services that include everyone, there are examples of intuitive and inclusive design and delivery across various sectors. Inclusive design may not be perfect from the start, but it sends a clear and inclusive message to employees and potential customers of “welcome.”
Forbes Business Council recognizes the importance of inclusive design in creating a positive customer experience and driving business growth. By taking steps to involve diverse perspectives in product and service development, design inclusively for both employees and customers, and share successes and learnings within the organization, companies can improve their reputation, increase market share, and foster a more inclusive environment for all stakeholders. Are you qualified to join the Forbes Business Council and contribute to the discussion on inclusive design and customer experience?
