Design is a process by which we improve our world by shaping the objects, environments and systems in it, from the mundane (cupcake tins, lawnmowers) to multi-authored intangibles (governments, social media platforms). A “good” design not only supplies elegant or excellent performance, it is also approachable and accessible.

It is natural, then, that “universal design” has become a buzzword. The concept has obvious appeal. And design requirements that prioritize accessibility, like those enforced by the Americans with Disabilities Act, have improved countless lives. But is such a thing as universal design—something that works equally well for all people—truly possible? If so, what does it look like? Or, to be truly inclusive, do designs need to be adaptable to address the needs of differing audiences?

To get a sense of how designers across various fields are thinking about universal design, Visual Arts Journal spoke with the following SVA faculty:

Chappell Ellison (MA Design Research, Writing and Criticism) is a writer, editor, content strategist and design advocate, and MFA 2010 Design Criticism graduate. Ellison has collaborated with Etsy, Design Observer, the City of New York, and the Museum of Modern Art and Museum of the Moving Image, both in New York.

Karrie Jacobs (MA Design Research, Writing and Criticism) is a contributing editor at Architect Magazine. For 10 years, Jacobs wrote a monthly column, “America,” for Metropolis. Jacobs was the founding editor-in-chief of Dwell, a San Francisco-based magazine about modern residential architecture.

Jennifer Rittner (MFA Products of Design) is an educator and writer, and founder of the communications strategy firm Content Matters, which helps creative businesses communicate effectively with diverse audiences.

Rafael Smith (MFA Products of Design) is a design lead at IDEO.org, where he works on product and systems design for winning ideas from IDEO.org’s Amplify program, which supports organizations pursuing solutions to humanitarian crises all over the world. Prior to joining IDEO.org, Smith was as an industrial design consultant and founder of Uber Shelter, which created emergency housing for communities affected by natural disasters.

Ted Southern (MFA Interaction Design) is an artist and inventor, and cofounder of Final Frontier Design, a space suit design and manufacturing company based in Brooklyn that has won several awards and contracts with NASA for its work.

Jack Travis (BFA Interior Design) is an architect and interior designer who established his namesake studio in 1985. His firm is under contract as cultural consultants for the second phase of construction of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Second Avenue Subway project, in Manhattan.

Christina Xu (MFA Interaction Design) is a writer and independent ethnographer currently focused on the social implications around Chinese and U.S. technology. Xu is a trustee of the New York City chapter of the Awesome Foundation, which awards micro-grants to noteworthy arts, design and community-development projects.

Features