Besides curb cuts there are many examples of universal design in engineering. Choose an example of universal design in engineering and explain how it can be used as inspiration for a learning design.

From Inclusive Design and Accessible Architecture: Why They Are Pivotal Today

What is Universal Design ？

I’d like to start with my understanding of universal design. Universal design makes designed products as accessible as possible to all people (What is universal design?). There are many different factors to consider when designing a product. One of the main goals of a general-purpose designed product is to give users different capabilities to interact effectively with the product.

Examples of universal design in engineering

From 07 universal design principles: An example of the Osaka metro system

Universal design is imported into the navigation system.
In the Japanese subway navigation system, there are many different forms of approaches (Hoang, 2022). The Japanese subway navigation system provides users with navigation information in a variety of forms using colors, arrow illustrations and ground lines, making it easy for users to identify different train lines, understand the direction of trains and stopping points, and the arrows depicting movement directions and waiting positions are intuitive and clear. The design makes it easy for even non-Japanese speakers to understand the information in the subway system, and the navigation system presents information in multiple languages, making it easy for foreign visitors to use as well.

From 07 universal design principles: An example of the Osaka metro system


A universal design is used in the elevator system.
The entrance area includes stairs, escalators and elevators, with the stairs and escalators having a larger capacity and the elevators being suitable for passengers with limited mobility or large luggage. For the visually impaired, the floors leading to the elevators and stairs are equipped with tactile paving stones, as well as handrails to assist those with mobility impairments (Hoang, 2022). Whatever the needs of the passengers, there are different options available for use.

Design inspiration for learning

With the above example, I need to understand the students in the class. What are their foundations, what kind of help do they need from us, etc. I should consider a variety of approaches to meet the diverse needs of learners when designing and presenting materials, concepts, and exam content. This includes a variety of approaches such as visual presentation and auditory presentation, but also physical displays, demonstration presentations, animations, films, games, etc. When designing exam content, I should consider providing different forms of questions so that students can answer them according to their learning styles and abilities. I should also consider how to connect to students’ background knowledge, guide them in information selection and processing, and support memory and knowledge translation.

Reference

Hoang, T. (2022, September 30). 07 universal design principles: An example of the Osaka Metro system. Medium. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/07-universal-design-principles-an-example-of-the-osaka-metro-system-4102f7f25836

What is Universal Design? What is universal design? | DO-IT. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://www.washington.edu/doit/what-universal-design-0