When Whirlpool created its first line of front-loading washers, designers came up with a simple but ingenious idea: to put the appliance atop a 10- to 15-inch pedestal. Users would no longer have to bend so deeply to load their clothes or to fish out the last sock from the back of the drum. The change was ideal for older people and those with bad backs, but it also made the washer easier for everyone to use. That's a core principle of an approach known as "universal design."
"It's all about accommodating a range of abilities," says Doug Beaudet, global director for user experience and interaction design at Whirlpool. The company has employed the concept of universal design to create a number of features that make its appliances easier to use, such as adding both visual and audio cues to indicate wash choices or signal when a cycle is over.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Designing for Everyone - Technology Review
Author: Emily Singer
