13: Inclusive workplaces, a new adult Lego set, and Mismatch design

…the ideal is “universal design”, which creates an environment that can be used in the widest possible range of situations without any need for adaptation. For disabled workers, this means that all the elements of a workplace need to be accessible: entrances, lifts, meeting rooms, coffee facilities and, not least, toilets. If it is difficult for people to travel to meetings, firms must provide videoconferencing. And disability is not just about mobility. People with poor vision can be helped by increasing the colour contrasts on computer displays, for example.

Color is one of the most important tools in the design process. Colors can hide completely and disappear or provide contrast. —Mette Hay

Beyond that, there are lot of adults who aren’t buying Lego. Those are the people Lego wants to lure in with Forma. Lego sees an untapped market in adults who are looking for a casual creative outlet but may not feel comfortable picking up a paintbrush. It’s solid business logic. According to a 2017 study, creativity is an estimated $44 billion industry, up 45% from 2011. Endeavors, like drawing, coloring, and crafting, have become 21st-century tranquilizers for over-subscribed, unfulfilled adults.

For better or worse, the people who design the touchpoints of society determine who can participate and who’s left out. Often unwittingly.