What it does
Microsoft Inclusive Design provides free principles, guidebooks, examples and team activities for recognizing exclusion in products. Its resources address physical and mental health, cognition, neurodiversity and the different circumstances in which people use a design.
Start with Tools, then Inclusive 101 for the method or Inclusive activity cards for a workshop. Both can be read on the site, with a PDF download offered. The cards are grouped into Get Oriented, Frame, Ideate, Iterate and Optimize, and each gives a purpose, instructions, materials and facilitation tips.
For example, Create a Persona Spectrum starts with interviewing someone who has a permanent limitation, then maps related temporary and situational experiences. Persona Network maps the people they interact with and the mismatches they encounter. These give a team something concrete to discuss and develop, while keeping the work connected to a person’s experience.
The resources are free to read without an account. Microsoft distinguishes inclusive design as a method from accessibility as a quality of the resulting experience: completing the activities does not establish that a product meets every accessibility standard.
Strengths
- Tools and team activities make the method usable in product work.
- Activity cards include instructions, materials and facilitation tips.
- Cognition and neurodiversity receive dedicated resources.
Watch out for
- Completing the activities does not establish conformance with accessibility standards.
Best for
- Product teams examining exclusion in a design process
- Facilitators planning inclusive design workshops
Sources
- Microsoft Inclusive Design (Oct 27, 2026)
- Tools and guidance | Microsoft Inclusive Design (Oct 27, 2026)
- Inclusive 101 Guidebook (Oct 27, 2026)
- Inclusive Activity Cards (Oct 27, 2026)