Information Technology Reference
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not only on the quality of their design, but also on consumers' awareness,
attitudes and understanding of their products. Wider potential roles for the
manufacturer are suggested below.
Part of the role of manufacturers is to see the commercial advantages of
designing to meet the needs of our highly diverse populations. Engaging
directly with citizens and hearing expression of their very different needs
and wants is a far more powerful way of becoming aware and responsive
than simply reading consumer survey data. Manufacturers have much to
gain in learning from those with experience in public participation exer-
cises about how to elicit ideas, hopes and aspirations of citizens. As under-
standing develops of the powerful business case for designing for diversity
(e.g. Keates et al. 2000) together with realization of the bigger markets to
be created globally, responsiveness of manufacturers is also likely to grow.
To ignore significant sectors of the population is to restrict market op-
portunities as well as to increase the risk of exclusion. Ensuring that ICT
systems/services/products become accessible and desirable for a wide
range of the population, immediately broadens the market to which they
can be sold. It also increases the likelihood of their take-up in European
and worldwide markets. Using just one segment of the population and one
ubiquitous product to illustrate the point: imagine if a company were to in-
vest in designing and manufacturing a TV remote control to operate digital
television which was truly easy to use - both cognitively and physically,
by most older people. It would have a huge potential market. The design
challenge is to recreate the simplicity and ease of use of the first handsets
introduced for analogue televisions.
To be responsive requires the identification of market segments and of
the gaps in existing research into attitudes and needs. Filling the gaps in
research is likely to reveal potential new markets and opportunities for in-
novation. This knowledge enables new business opportunities to be identi-
fied - including the potential to use the internet and local intranets as a
means of reaching new markets (e.g. isolated older people), and opening
new routes to market. Greater responsiveness to needs of consumers may
be reflected in a growth in development of inclusive systems, services and
products. Developing successful products that are inclusive will be facili-
tated by collaborative arrangements with designers, special interest groups,
media companies, retailers and citizens themselves. Sharing and using
knowledge and understanding of citizens and how to engage them in de-
sign and testing of systems/services/products will therefore have mutual
benefit for all the stakeholders. In addition, the need for acquisition of so-
cial science skills mentioned above in relation to ICT designers, applies
equally to the engineers and product developers in the manufacturing
sector.
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