ITPEC IP October 2021 Question 24
Which of the following is the term for the design that is intended to provide comfortable usability to as many people as possible, regardless of their culture, language, age, gender, presence or absence of disability, or capability?
Explanation
Universal design — designing from the start so that as many people as possible can use a product comfortably, whatever their age, language, culture or ability.
Universal design does not add a special version for one group; it makes one design that suits everyone. Examples are pictograms understood without reading, large buttons with high contrast, step-free entrances, and a shampoo bottle with ridges that can be told apart by touch.
Answer (d)
Why not others:
- •(a) Barrier-free design — removes existing obstacles for particular people, such as adding a ramp for wheelchair users, rather than designing for everyone from the start
- •(b) Fail-safe — when a failure occurs, the system moves to the safe side, as a traffic signal turning all red
- •(c) Foolproof — prevents operating mistakes, as a microwave oven that will not start with its door open
Key rule: Universal design serves the widest range of users from the outset; barrier-free fixes obstacles for specific users; fail-safe and foolproof are about failures and human error, not usability for all.
Human Interface · AI-written, may contain errors
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