How inclusive is your digital product?
How inclusive is your digital product?
The Digital Inclusion by Design Index gives you insight into just how inclusive you are as a digital service provider. It helps you to remove obstacles for users when designing your digital product or service. It provides actionable data to various stakeholders within your organization, from marketers and product designers to website designers.
The tool
The Digital Inclusion by Design Index is a handy instrument to prevent stress in the end users of your digital product or service, whether it’s a website, an app or any other digital tool. By using this self-assessment, you can check your digital inclusivity against the seven criteria of the Digital Inclusion by Design Index and receive tips on how to make improvements.
Start the assessment
By clicking on the button below, you can start the assessment and find out how digitally inclusive your digital product or service is.
The 7 criterias
Trust: Data & Privacy
People who are at risk of digital exclusion will tend to distrust digital products and services, and they are less likely to use them. That is why providers of digital products and services should make sure all personal data is handled properly and securely, in order to build trust.
Accessibility
Technical standards of digital products and services should aim to make them easily accessible for everybody. This includes making websites readable by assistive tools used by blind and visually impaired people to have a computer voice read the on-screen text aloud to them, or making tools accessible to people with physical disabilities.
Interoperability & Compatibility
Digital inclusion also implies that a service can be used from any device, new or old, stationary or portable. Additionally, call centres and physical services can increase interoperability. Following the axiom of “Click, Call, Connect”, clients should get the same service when visiting your website, calling your hotline, using your online chat feature, or coming to a physical location.
Continuous User Involvement
A panel of people who are (at risk of being) digitally excluded should be involved at every step of the way, from the moment you start developing your website, product or service to the moment it is discontinued. This panel should always include the target group of the service itself.
Clear Language
Digital products and services should be easy to understand and use clear, unambiguous language.
Transparency
Transparency is all about the governance of the digital offering. Providers need to show that they care about digital inclusion and are compliant. Transparency includes proper training and knowledge, but should also be reflected in the decisions and investments made by a provider.
User Journey
Ensuring a smooth and stress-free user journey is crucial for digital products and services to be usable by everyone. This includes ease of use, guidance and support throughout the process, providing the shortest possible route to the information or service the user wants, and a clear navigation logic.
Why is a Digital Inclusion by Design Index necessary?
There are currently insufficient measuring instruments or global guidelines for digital inclusion that take account the needs of vulnerable users right from the design phase of digital processes and tools. Using this test when you develop your digital products is a win-win solution for everyone. You find it easier to connect with your target group and your target group find their way to you more easily.
Peer to peer coaching
Over the coming months, we also plan to link the Digital Inclusion by Design Index to peer2peer coaching and we will ultimately hand out an annual award that recognises best practices.
Next
In a next phase, the Index will grow and evolve into an ecosystem where members can gather information, learn from each other and advocate best practices towards industry partners and peers.
With support from
The Digital Inclusion by Design Index has been developed with the support from
