I finished a masterclass on inclusive design late last night. It was about how to build websites that work for people with different needs and ways of thinking. I came away with one thought that has been sitting with me since: you cannot design for everyone, and you should not try.
Here is the bit that landed.
During the Q&A, the conversation shifted to something I have been thinking about a lot in my own work. It is about understanding who you are actually building for, and accepting that you do good work for certain people and not for others.
Design for best fit, not for everyone
I work with small businesses. I know where I do good work and where I do not. I am the right fit for certain people and not for others. A big agency with a large team and a ticket system suits some clients perfectly. I suit people who want to deal with one person. Who want same-day replies. Who value the relationship over the process.
That is not a weakness. That is clarity.
When I stopped trying to be everything to everyone, when I accepted that my way of working suits some people perfectly and does not suit others at all, the business got better. The clients were happier. The work was better because we were already aligned.
The same thing applies to building websites. Inclusive design does not mean universal design. It means understanding who you are building for, and building something that actually works for them. Sometimes that means accessibility features that are standard now: alt text, clear navigation, readable fonts. Sometimes it means understanding that not everyone sees colour the same way, or processes information in the same order, or needs the same amount of white space on a page.
But it does not mean bending over backwards to serve every possible user in every possible context. You cannot. You build for your actual users. You respect their needs. You do not pretend to need things you do not need.
What this means if you are looking for a designer
If you are a small business owner looking for someone to build or fix your website, this is worth knowing. A good designer will ask you who your actual users are. They will not promise a site that works perfectly for everyone on earth. They will promise a site that works really well for the people you are trying to reach.
That is the conversation worth having.
For me, that means building sites for businesses in Harrogate and North Yorkshire. It means the work I do is a good fit for people who want to talk to one person and get quick answers. It means I respect the limits of what I can do and what I actually know.
The masterclass gave me some useful techniques. But the real value was the confirmation that I was already heading in the right direction. Design for the people you can actually serve well. Let everyone else find the designer who serves them better.
That is how good design happens.
