Building For Everyone

CHAPTER 13Looking to the Future of Product Inclusion

Product inclusion is trending strong. Organizations are just beginning to wake up to the fact that customer service means serving all customers, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, location, language, or other dimensions. They are just beginning to realize the many benefits of building for everyone, with everyone—increased innovation, productive new partnerships, expansion into underserved markets, positive word‐of‐mouth, and more. But what it really comes down to is building truly inclusive products that enrich the lives of your users.

In addition, consumers are just beginning to realize the power they have in shaping an organization's policies, processes, products, and services. They are beginning to vote with their values, their wallets, and their ratings and reviews to drive the success of organizations that are sensitive to their needs and preferences, at the expense of organizations that aren't.

The momentum in favor of diversity, equity, and inclusion is growing and is likely to accelerate as demographics shift and the competition for historically underrepresented consumers increases. In the two and a half years I've been leading product inclusion at Google, I have observed a groundswell in the pace, rigor, and enthusiasm for the work, and this trend extends beyond technology. In fashion, medicine, art, and other areas, more and more people are applying an inclusive lens to their work ...