The goal of inclusive design is to consider the full range of diverse perspectives: culture, language, ability, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and more. We focus on designing for accessibility from the beginning, rather than add on accommodations last.

This creates richer experiences with a broader audience. It signals to everyone that they are welcome and that their experiences matter.

And it leads to more empathetic design, too — we can ask better questions and make stronger products as a result.

If you design for the margins, everyone benefits.

Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used in a person’s working memory at any given time.

When we’re learning something new or processing information (like reading instructions, solving a math puzzle, or navigating a layout) our brains only have a limited amount of space to hold and work with that information. That “space” is what cognitive load measures.

As a designer, (especially for education,) my goal is to reduce extraneous load so my audience can spend their energy on the important stuff.

Schemas are mental frameworks (I like to think of them as storage boxes) we use to organize information.

When you learn something new, your brain tries to do one of two things:

1. Fit it into an existing schema (like adding a new item to an storage box), or

2. Build a new schema if the information doesn’t fit anywhere yet.

By activating what a person already knows, we can give new information a place to land while reducing cognitive load. Good design = connecting new ideas to the right schema.

Play is a powerful cognitive tool for learning: it’s a safe space to explore new ideas and to grow. Learners are more likely to try new things and embrace failure as a learning tool rather than view it as a reflection of who they are.

I design fun, playful material that builds confidence and encourages play as much as possible. To colleagues, I describe it as a bit ‘o whimsy!