Universal Design as a Tool for the Humanization of Social Consciousness in Design Practice

Abstract

This paper considers design as a socially responsible tool that can and should be used to challenge existing social and cultural conditions and facilitate the humanization of social consciousness and design activity. Providing inclusivity is undoubtedly a goal of design, and many countries today are engaged in facilitating such changes in urban environments. Universal design is one of the most important tools that can meet the challenges of creating a comfortable living environment and developing an inclusive mindset. We demonstrate the potential of universal design using examples of the design projects developed by the students of the Department of Industrial Design, Ural State University of Architecture and Art. These projects show a wide range of possible applications of the principles of universal design and demonstrate the potential of universal design to facilitate and engender new understanding of inclusive and accessible environment that can help reshape public consciousness regardless of whether or not such projects are actually put into practice.