The Middle East and Japan on Inclusion through Design

Frequently our stories here on Universal Design in the built environment come from North America, Europe or Australia and those on UD in consumer products from Japan or South Korea. It was encouraging to find this articulate piece on Universal Design coming from a consultant in the Middle East.

Steve Maslin is an access consultant and inclusive design manager for Stride Treglown (www.stridetreglown.co.uk). Here is an excerpt from an interview published at Construction Week Online:

When it comes to making designs inclusive, what advice would you give to interior designers in this region?

Go beyond just wheelchair user access to sensory and psychological aspects of inclusive design.

Understand the relevance of inclusive design to the sustainability agenda, the relevance of the cultural context and the relationship between capital investments made by your clients, the productivity of their staff and the willingness of their clients do business.

Encourage clients to employ access consultants, so as to provide advice that includes an understanding of their needs, the design and construction process, and the needs of their staff and customers - including disabled people.

Source:

http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-7264-inclusive-design/

Japan Pavilion Exhibition at Ambiente the World's Largest International Trade Fair for Household Products and Accessories

At International Trade Fair for Household Products and Accessories "Ambiente", as part of a new Japanese government program, 12 Japanese manufacturers of household products and accessories will exhibit their wares at the Japan Pavilion.

"The key focus of Japanese product design is providing witty solutions for the problems people face in their daily life."

In line with the catchphrase "CONNECT TO JAPAN DESIGN", the Japan Pavilion has an objective of introducing to the people of Europe the design techniques and products that Japan is sending out to the global community and clear the way for a new business stage.

Kazuya Shimokawa, chief editor for Japan's monthly magazine on design strategy and information, NIKKEI DESIGN, and the producer of this project, comments on the products on exhibit at the Japan Pavilion and the characteristics of Japanese product design.

"The key focus of Japanese product design is providing witty solutions for the problems people face in their daily life.

Never requiring over-the-top devices or hordes of space, Japanese product design offers a convenient and comfortable way of life in quiet harmony with the user.

Japanese product design aims first for usability. Due to Japan's rapidly aging population, consumers seek products that can be easily used by anyone, from children to the elderly, left-handers and right-handers, pregnant women and temporarily injured people alike.

As an advanced country in universal design, Japanese product design reaches a higher dimension and achieves usability. This is the value that will be sought after world-wide in the future.

Furthermore, the primary feature of Japanese product design is the consideration of the environment. The market seeks products which are energy-conserving, resource-saving, and moreover, brimming with ideas on how to generate the least amount of rubbish possible. It is the mission of Japanese product design to answer these demands. This type of product design is beginning to receive high acclaim on the international stage, creating a new value of "Made in Japan".

It is the fusion of tradition and state-of-the-art technology that has achieved high usability and environment-friendliness. To a solid foundation of age-old shop-floor manufacturing techniques and lifestyle, technology of the modern world like computers, robots, biotechnology and so forth has been intertwined, providing us, the users, with futuristic functions that have added value.

Source:

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091228005097&newsLang=en