Opening the aperture – a vision for Inclusive Design at Diageo

Inclusive Design leads to better work and improved business outcomes.?

As one of the world’s largest advertisers, Diageo is committed to creating an advertising and media environment where, from script to screen, everyone sees themselves represented. We call this progressive marketing. We are proud of our progress, but we are learning every day and know that there is more we can do.?

So, today, we have announced that we are introducing inclusive design training for Diageo’s 1,200 strong team of marketers. ?

Design thinking is built on the principle of focusing on the end user. A story that always stands out to me is from the design team at Philips. When testing early design concepts for a machine for mixing and heating baby formula, they observed that users rarely had two hands available. However organised we might want to be, parents are normally cradling a hungry baby while making up the bottle. The design team re-engineered the process to be operated with one hand. At our best designers abandon our own ideas and adapt through empathy. ?

Sadly, we know that unconscious bias still plays a part in the design process. Research from a few years ago showed that women are 73% more likely to suffer a serious injury in a car crash as historically, automotive design was dominated by men and crash test dummies reflected male height and body shape. ?

Reports produced by D&AD, Creative Mentor Network, Kerning the Gap and Creative Equals reveal a design industry lacking gender, ethnicity and disability diversity. ??

At Diageo we believe that a diverse business is a better business. Our vision for Inclusive Design is that "we open the aperture. Include those previously excluded from our category and the creative industry, leading to an explosion of creativity.” It is a vision built on early learnings but like our wider progressive marketing commitments, we are focused on progressive representation, perspective, agency and characterisation. ?

With representation we are considering who is being portrayed. Far from seeking to iron out difference or striving not to cause offence, Inclusive Design celebrates difference. We view cosmetics brand Fenty as doing a great job of representation, showing a diverse range of people and body shapes and allowing models to reflect their own perspective. Inclusivity happens when people influence the product or means of production, and we believe that the design team should reflect the user base. Collaboration is an inclusive behaviour, Smirnoff’s Pride takeover collaborations are an example of allowing a platform for other voices on your work.?

While representation deals with who is being portrayed, perspective considers whose point of view the work comes from. The need to move away from the male gaze and to avoid female stereotypes is well publicised but still frequently visible. More subtle is the western-centric notion of “good design.” At Art School I was taught that minimalism was good design but in many cultures the opposite view prevails, decoration and richness of detail are valued. Minimalism is a style, not the only choice. Inclusive Design must carefully consider whose perspective we are viewing the design through and ensures it is not an implicitly white, western or purely male perspective.?

Agency considers how people interact and behave with our work. Inclusive Design means incorporating the requirements of the marginalised or excluded into the design process, improving the experience for everyone. Our design work as part of Diageo’s ￡185m investment in whisky tourism across Scotland has benefited from seeking to create accessible and inclusive experiences. By partnering with the disabled access charity, Euan’s Guide, we have learnt that accessibility of buildings is not enough. What is needed is a truly inclusive environment, where information is provided ahead of the visit, the welcome is warm and accommodating and specific needs are met with an open mindset and can-do approach. Inspired by Paul Ralph, Access and Inclusion Director, we have provided Changing Room facilities in Johnnie Walker Princes Street (Edinburgh) and Singleton of Glen Ord (Inverness). Over a quarter of a million people in the UK need additional space and equipment to use toilets comfortably, providing a Changing Places with access granted by Radar Key opens up the local area for users to visit.?

Finally, Characterisation ensures that we portray real people. One trap that can often be fallen into is the Dedication Trap. ?It is common to portray craft as requiring extreme dedication and long working hours, with often men the ones shown being dedicated to achieving mastery. ?These narratives imply that family life must be sacrificed and can reinforce gender stereotypes. ?Few great pieces of work are the result of one person, reflecting the teamwork that goes into creativity is a more inclusive approach.?

As we begin to roll out our inclusive design training to Diageo’s 1,200 marketers and to our agency partners around the world, we hope to empower our marketing teams to challenge how they’ve traditionally approached design, from a deeper understanding of the end-user to how they commission a designer.?

There is power in diversity, great skill is required to bring about inclusion. Design succeeds when we develop empathy. When we do this well, with humility and inclusion, the pay-offs can be significant.?

You can read more about our Inclusive Design training here: https://lnkd.in/eWUVHRKW