Interbrand launches new ‘inclusive design practice’

To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day global brand agency Interbrand Group launched a dedicated inclusive design practice to pursue barrier-free brand experiences.

The inclusive design practice, launched after a finding showing that between 75% and 80% of customer experiences are failing disabled people, will be led by Interbrand’s London office and will partner with brands across the world.

The practice aims to help brands create a world that works for more people. Combining disability-centric insights with brand thinking, Interbrand will help brands create barrier-free experiences for underserved audiences. It will also help brands to develop deep-rooted, repeatable process and models that enable companies to continue removing barriers to everyday experiences, from retail access to cultural engagement.

Although accessibility awareness has improved in recent years, with increased population longevity and universal celebration of the value of diversity, greater focus will enable truly enhancing experiences across all sectors.

“The pursuit of barrier-free brand experience has a very simple goal: to create experiences that work for as many people as possible, for as long as possible. Interbrand want to help brands move from ‘passive’ to purposeful in their inclusivity efforts,” says Marianne Waite, director of inclusive design at Interbrand.

“The reality is that most people are not ‘normal’, they are just temporarily non-disabled. This means that we will all experience some form of disability at some point in our lives. Brands need to do more to meet, and exceed, the expectations of this underserved audience,” she adds.