By Lauren Slevinsky
The Equity and Inclusion in Housing Design (EIHD) project is focused on design processes. More specifically, our project is about centering equity in design. This means thinking carefully about how we involve people living with disabilities and future users in formulating design goals and ‘must haves’ in the pre-design phase. As discussed in our previous blog post, the pre-design phase is one of the most critical phases of the design process. It allows for the identification of problems early, on paper, when ideas are still flexible and changes can be made quickly, easily, and at a low cost.
We have come to think about the pre-design phase as the cornerstone of inclusive design. This is where inclusion truly begins, when we decide who is in the room, how they are invited to contribute, and what tools or supports allow them to participate meaningfully. Our recent workshops explored how we could create inclusive and accessible environments to effectively engage participants in design activities. Each workshop ran for 2.5 hours with a group of participants with varying lived experiences and disabilities. Our goal was to identify and remove barriers that are often present in pre-design engagement strategies, barriers that can make participants feel uncertain, excluded, or fatigued.
The exercises we tested help designers gather information about users’ interaction with their home environments, both in terms of tasks they complete in the home (User Journey Mapping) and movement and flow throughout the space (Bubble Diagrams).
In the User Journey Mapping exercise, participants were asked to choose a typical, everyday task they complete at home. They were then asked to describe each step of the task and present them in a flow-chart format on the posters provided. They noted how each step made them feel and identified features that were essential to or hindered their ability to complete their task. In doing so, we discovered what barriers individuals face in their everyday lives and how we can minimize them for future reference.
Participant User Journey Maps
The Bubble Diagram exercise explored how participants viewed their current housing units, and what they would like their ideal unit to look like. To do this, we used circle cut-outs, markers, emoticons, and sticky notes to describe the flow of space, how it made them feel, along with any other necessary details. This allowed us to discover any “must haves” or critical components in a unit in order to make it fully accessible for the user.
Bubble Diagram workshop room setup
Participant Bubble Diagram
The following reflections summarize what we learned about the conditions that supported or limited participation in these workshops, and how these insights can help us design more inclusive processes in the future.
Physical and Sensory Comfort
Before any design activity begins, it is important to ensure that the physical setup of a space is as comfortable as possible for all participants, as it can either support or restrict participation. When people feel at ease, they are more willing to share personal experience, take creative risks, and contribute meaningfully to the discussion.
Factors such as lighting, acoustics, temperature, room size, and table space can affect how comfortable, safe, and included participants feel. For some participants, background noises like humming or outside traffic were distracting and made it difficult to concentrate on the task at hand.
The room is big, the lights are really good. Lots of space. And we have a big enough desks… I like the way you presented this, and we had ample space
Creating a supportive environment involves more than simply providing an accessible space, it means offering choice and control. The ability to adjust lighting, reduce noise, or change seating arrangements allowed us as facilitators to respond to an individual’s needs in real time. This flexibility is important as it communicates respect for participants’ comfort and autonomy, placing their well-being at the center of the process.
Having additional supports, such as fidget toys, colouring, or background music also helped participants manage sensory sensitivities and stay focused during tasks. These aids provided outlets for restlessness, stress, or sensory overloads, enabling participants to engage with the task at their own pace. Having these options helped reduce anxiety and created a sense of safety throughout the workshops.
Delivery of Information
The way in which information is delivered can also shape understanding and confidence. It is important to recognize that the activities you are introducing may be new or unfamiliar exercises for your participants, and so instructions must be clear, concise, and easy to follow. Alongside this, there is a need to describe things as they are, rather than depending on participants to interpret and infer the information provided. Without this clarity, participants felt overwhelmed or hesitant and anxious about “doing it wrong”.
The clarity of language itself also played a key role. The phrasing of questions affects how easily participants interpret and respond to them. For instance, using words like ‘most’ led to confusion as it could imply only one answer (e.g., “what is most important to you in your home?”). This ambiguity can sometimes discourage engagement or produce unclear responses. Reframing prompts into more descriptive language can improve comprehension and confidence.
Moreover, visual aids, templates, and examples were particularly effective in building understanding and confidence in participants. These resources can provide a clear reference point and reduce uncertainty about where to start or how responses should look. For many, seeing an example first made the task feel more achievable and less intimidating, ultimately leading to deeper engagement
I appreciated the sample that you made. That really gave me clarity on what I could do.
Materials and Modes of Expression
The materials used in our activities shaped how effectively participants could express themselves. Offering multiple modes of participation proved essential for accommodating different needs, preferences, and communication styles. While some participants thrived in visual and creative modes of expression, others preferred structured written responses.
Visual aids such as emoticons or images greatly assisted some participants in communicating their feelings and experiences. During our user journey mapping exercise, the use of images gave participants a clear way to visually represent their experiences in their homes, removing the barrier of having to verbally explain room layouts and spatial orientation. For our bubble diagram exercise, participants appreciated the pre-cut ‘bubbles’ of varying sizes and colours, as it made completing their diagrams faster and easier. In both exercises, emoticons were used to represent how a room or features made participants feel. It was important that we provided a wide range of emotions that could capture the complexity and diversity of each participant’s experiences
Providing varied materials and flexibility of choice enables deeper engagement, allowing individuals to choose how they contribute to the conversation. This sense of choice fosters a sense of agency and ensures that participants’ contributions, thoughts, and even concerns are captured in a format that works best for them.
Time and Emotional Energy
An essential piece of participating in workshops is the allocation of time. Participants noted that the 60-minute time frame we initially provided felt too short to fully process instructions, complete their activities, and reflect upon their experiences. This sense of time pressure can be alleviated by allowing more time for completion or by structuring workshops as a series of sessions. Some suggested that revisiting tasks over multiple meetings would make the process feel less rushed and more reflective. In response, we extended later workshops to two hours for a single activity, which allowed participants to work at their own pace, reflect on their choices, and engage in thoughtful discussion.
We had also observed that some activities evoke strong emotional responses. Reflecting on one’s home environment, especially one that is associated with stress and frustration, can be overwhelming and may make the exercise difficult to complete. At the same time, moments of creative freedom changed these feelings into empowerment. For example, during the bubble diagram exercise, participants described feeling inspired from the creative freedom of designing their own spaces. Acknowledging the emotional weight of these activities is crucial in supporting participants throughout the process. In doing so, facilitators can help participants feel safe, validated, and supported throughout the process.
I really enjoyed creating my ideal space. I don’t really know why, but when I moved from that, I had a lot of emotions when I was doing that. I mentioned this part was where I felt overwhelmed. Actually, that might be more to it than I think, the whole thing, because I do feel overwhelmed in that space. But as I was doing this, wow. I just felt so open and free. It just was so much light that I’m experiencing, and it’s just brighter. I just really enjoyed that.
Conclusion
Our workshops reaffirmed that equity in design extends well beyond the accessibility of the physical environment; it is fundamentally about the ability to participate fully and meaningfully. Comfort, clarity, communication, flexibility, and emotional awareness all contribute to creating spaces where people feel safe to share their experiences and confident that their voices matter.
Centering equity in design means planning how users can participate meaningfully. It is about removing physical, cognitive, emotional, and structural barriers that limit voice and agency. Ultimately, inclusive design begins here in the pre-design phase, when we choose to make participation equitable, accessible, and empowering for everyone involved.
This research was supported by:
