Courses

University of Michigan

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 Universal Design: Design Analytics for Ability

This course will explore the principles, strategies, and application of universal design as an ideology for designing products and environments for the varying physical and psychological abilities and limitation of people. The instructors bring to students an awareness of the social and theoretical context for universal design, accessible design, and the designer’s role both nationally and internationally. The course responds to the need in the College for information and skills relative to a human centered design thinking processes, broadening the student’s awareness of the evolving characteristics, and to address advances in universal design concepts for design.

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.