Designing from outliers
This post incorporates extracts from Multiplied.
In my previous post, I shared an example of how diversity and inclusion is an important part of innovation.
Going back to my 2014 talk at the NUX conference, I’ve often used the famous example of OXO Good Grips kitchen tools.
The story goes that the handle of the OXO peeler is designed specifically to meet the needs of people with arthritis, but this actually means it’s more comfortable and convenient to use for everyone.
Another good example is the cordless kettle, which was designed for people with limited mobility.
In the design film, Objectified, directed by Gary Hewitt, a designer involved with the original OXO design team notes, “What we really need to do is look at the extremes …If we understand what the extremes are, the middle will take care of itself.”
In a design process, this is sometimes called looking at outliers, although it’s really considering who is excluded, and then using their perspective to create something better.
Starting with the needs and the people we might consider as outliers becomes an approach to designing for everyone.
It’s about being willing to ask the questions: Who is excluded by [this product/service/change], or who doesn’t it reach? And why?
There’s then the need to do the work to better understand barriers to inclusion. This is potentially difficult research that needs careful planning, and a need for more meaningful engagement than just testing your ideas or product.
Focusing on diversity and inclusion in this way enables teams to ensure future solutions will be accessed and used in the largest possible range of situations.
This is what it means to design from outliers. The work needed to understand and meet people at an initial point of exclusion, disadvantage, or lack of existing service reach. Designing from here gives us the potential to create services that might eventually work better for everyone, sustaining that reach.
Universalism is becoming harder and harder
These are additional notes added in November 2025.
Relevant to this topic, Rachel Coldicutt spoke clearly about the problem with universalism as part of her keynote talk at SDinGov 2024. She noted:
“Maybe universalism is becoming harder and harder… We haven’t listened to people who have become marginalised… We’ve tended to take the aggregate majority view. It’s important that we think about people who are less likely to be heard, and can we make things that work for them, and if they work for them, will they work for everyone?
…Which leads me to this point about insight and data. Insight is more useful than data. People are mostly just thinking that life is hard… everything from opening a bank account […] things we take for granted. Most people are just hustling. That hustling becomes invisible when you’re looking at universal things.”
The last part of this quote felt particularly relevant in revisiting this topic. It’s the importance of recognising how people are still marginalised in our work, and how we fail to see that through a lack of service reach and insight.
Rather than universal or aggregate needs, it’s important that design can start with particular needs and interests – working to reach those who are not being seen or heard, and using this to get closer to creating something that does work for all.
This is my blog where I’ve been writing for 20 years. You can follow all of my posts by subscribing to this RSS feed. You can also find me on Bluesky and LinkedIn.