The kitchen in your home is the space where you prepare meals, share it with your loved ones and enjoy! And when it comes to designing a kitchen, it is paramount to consider the needs of everyone on your family, including old-aged parents, and individuals with special needs.
By incorporating thoughtful design elements, and features, you can create a highly functional and more importantly an inclusive cooking space. It will also promote safety, convenience, and independence for all. The concept of inclusivity and accessibility also emphasises on creating kitchen appliances that can be used by everyone, irrespective of their age, or ability and other factors.
Inclusive designing of kitchen appliances is a significant step forward in recognising the diversity among users, and bridging the gap to create viable solution catering to a wide range of needs and preferences of different people. Today, many home and kitchen appliances makers around the world are proactively taking steps towards integrating inclusive design principles in their range of kitchen electrical appliances.
In fact, some kitchen appliance makers are not just limiting themselves to designing appliances that meet the basic requirements of accessibility but also are thinking about how the appliances will be used and experienced by different individuals. Some of the top brands in the home and kitchen appliances sector have already come up with various products that are designed specifically with features that consider the needs of people who face different physical challenges.
From designing refrigerators that have an automatic door opening system, remote controls with embossed buttons and braille stickers to voice recognition technology, these innovations have been breaking the age-old barriers and setting new standards in the appliances industry.
Significance of inclusive design in kitchen appliances development
Today, the top kitchen appliances worldwide understand the fact that imparting including design in their products is not just a moral responsibility but also a practical solution to making their products usable and accessible by all. The demographic landscape is constantly changing worldwide, and there is growing awareness about the diverse needs of people with special needs and old aged individuals.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, over 1 billion people globally live with some form of disability; this changing demographic has necessitated a shift in the kitchen appliance makers' approach towards their product design. Home appliances are used by millions, and therefore, it is only fair and practical that the best kitchen appliance makers evolve to accommodate the needs of their diversity.
Imparting inclusive designs in kitchen appliances also has economic implications. It allows the kitchen appliances makers to cater to a broad segment of customers, and they can tap into a huge market segment that remains untapped. The products that have inclusive design elements can be accessed and adopted by a wider range of consumed, leading to increased customer loyalty and satisfaction.
How do poorly designed kitchen appliances impact accessibility?
Kitchen appliances that are poorly designed, or in other words, designed in a way that they cannot be used by all, can create a significant barrier for people who have limited mobility or have any special needs physically. When the controls are too small, or the interface is not very intuitive, or if the appliance requires you to use a certain level of strength, it can exclude a significant portion of the population from using it.
For example, if you an OTG (over toaster griller) requires a significant force to open the force, many people, like the old-aged ones may not be able to use it, leading to frustration and make them being dependent of others to help them make their food.
Similarly, old aged adults may struggle to use certain kitchen appliances that have complex functionalities and digital interface. As the sensory and physical abilities change or rather diminish with age, the kitchen appliances need to adapt to these changes, ensuring that they remain usage, and safe for all, even older customers.
Incorporating inclusivity in home and kitchen appliances
To incorporate inclusive design and make the kitchen appliances accessible for all in an effective manner, the appliance makers must engage with different users to find the perfect design solution. They can do this by –
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Test the products with diverse users
When kitchen appliance makers design any new appliance, they must engage with a wide range of users, including people with disability, old-aged individuals to test them and provide them feedback so that they can incorporate the suggestions to make it more rounded and usable for all, before launching it in the market.
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Keeping it simple and intuitive
While the appliances makers focus on imparting inclusive design and features, they must also ensure that the appliances are easy to use. It should have intuitive controls and there must be clear instructions on them for easy understanding of all.
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Adjustable and customisable
Incorporating certain basic features like being able to adjust or customise the height settings or control panels to suit the individual needs must be taken into account while designing the kitchen appliances.
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Sensory controls
Including design features that specifically cater to the different sensory needs of different individuals, like tactile feedback for those who have visual impairments or audible alerts for individuals with hearing issues.
Comfort and safety
The appliances makers must also keep the safety and comfort factor at the forefront so that the people can use the appliances comfortable without the risk of getting injuries or feel any kind of strain.
Final Word
Making kitchen appliances that are accessible by all and has inclusive features and design is not just a mere trend but a necessary evolution in the product development for the future. It only reflects a deeper sense of understanding of the different needs of different individuals by the appliances makers and their commitment to creating appliances that can be used by all, enhancing their lives, irrespective of their ability or age.
This inclusive approach in designing kitchen appliances not only improves accessibility for the users but also gives them a better and more satisfying user experience. Wipro Appliances, one of the leading names in the home and kitchen appliances segments has a reputation for offering the most premium quality appliances.
Their appliances are designed in a way that they are easy to use by all; they have a simple yet elegant design. From OTG to multicooker and from steam iron to soup maker, there are wide range of products for you to choose from. Visit the Wipro Appliances website and buy your favourite kitchen appliances.
