Design for All and Inclusive Design consultancy: more accessible, inclusive and desirable products, spaces and services.
Rodighiero.Design for All supports companies, institutions and organisations in developing products, spaces, services and design processes that integrate accessibility, inclusion, ergonomics, comfort and quality of form from the outset.
Consultancy services
Product design for companies
We support companies, R&D departments and design teams in developing products, systems and environments that integrate accessibility, usability, comfort and quality of form without resorting to stigmatising solutions.
Cultural spaces and venues
We work with museums, foundations and public bodies to make cultural experiences more accessible, easier to understand and more inclusive, through needs analysis, Co-Design, guidelines, meta-design solutions (guidance that sets the framework for later projects) and training.
Training and workshops
We design training programmes, workshops and Co-Design activities that give professionals, companies, public bodies, cultural institutions and complex organisations practical Design for All skills.
Our approach
Designing for a wide range of people does not mean imposing limits: it means raising the quality of the project. It means fewer adaptations later, more ways of using things, greater value, and products, spaces and services that are easier to understand, more comfortable and more desirable.
Design for All and Inclusive Design
Design for All and Inclusive Design point in the same direction: products, spaces, services and experiences that include a wide range of people, abilities, ages, cultures, skills and conditions of use. The goal is not special solutions for particular groups, but quality: more accessibility, more comfort, more independence, greater clarity of use and greater value for those who design, produce, manage or invest.
Who will use what we design
With age, the way we see, hear and move changes. For a product, a museum or a service, this means precise choices: contrast, acoustics, seating, routes.
Seeing
even with glasses or contact lenses
- Aged 15–6414.5%; with severe difficulty 1.2%
- Aged 65 and over29.5%; with severe difficulty 4.9%
- Aged 75 and over36.1%; with severe difficulty 7.6%
Hearing
a conversation in a quiet room, even with a hearing aid
- Aged 15–6417.4%; with severe difficulty 2.1%
- Aged 65 and over45.3%; with severe difficulty 10.9%
- Aged 75 and over55.5%; with severe difficulty 16.0%
Walking
half a kilometre on level ground, without walking aids
- Aged 15–648.0%; with severe difficulty 2.4%
- Aged 65 and over42.6%; with severe difficulty 20.3%
- Aged 75 and over57.5%; with severe difficulty 31.1%
Product design for companies
Design for All does not add complexity to a product: it brings it under control. It helps companies turn needs, constraints and differences in use into smarter, more competitive solutions.
We work alongside companies’ R&D, marketing and development teams on the critical review of products, systems and contexts of use. Our contribution is not only about accessibility as technical performance, but about whether different people can understand, choose, use and appreciate the product in real, often non-standard settings.
Activities
- Analysis of the product, its context of use and its accessibility issues;
- Identifying opportunities for innovation, differentiation and a wider range of users;
- Defining design criteria based on Design for All;
- Co-Design workshops with stakeholders, users and experts;
- Concepts and meta-design solutions;
- Design, prototypes and test models;
- Support in communicating the product’s inclusive value.
Results
- Non-stigmatising products that integrate accessibility, ergonomics and quality of form without looking like special or medicalised solutions.
- Market-oriented concepts that turn complex needs into products that are easier to understand, more desirable and consistent with the company’s identity.
- Design tests and prototypes to assess proportions, actions of use, dimensions, interactions and comfort before final development.
Cultural spaces and venues
An accessible place is not a simplified place. It is a place that deepens the relationship between people, content and spaces. We help institutions identify barriers, connect spaces, communication and the welcome given to visitors, and set priorities for action. The outcome is a set of reasoned recommendations to guide the project and the institution’s decisions.
We work with museums, foundations, cultural networks and public bodies to create visitor experiences that are more accessible, legible and inclusive. Our work does not reduce accessibility to the removal of barriers, but treats it as an overall quality of the experience: wayfinding, storytelling, exhibition design, comfort, communication, independence and a sensitive relationship between visitors, heritage and space.
Activities
- Analysis of the visitor experience, to identify problems, obstacles, gaps and opportunities along the physical, cognitive, sensory and narrative route.
- Mapping explicit, implicit and latent needs through listening, observation, data collection and the involvement of users, stakeholders and staff.
- Co-Design workshops, to turn skills, expectations and operational constraints into shared, workable design guidance.
- Operational guidelines and meta-design solutions, to guide phased work, calls for tenders, future projects and improvement plans.
- Staff training, to make accessibility a skill shared across the organisation.
Results
- Experiences that integrate accessibility, wayfinding and comfort without diminishing the aesthetic, narrative and symbolic quality of the place.
- More legible displays and exhibits, designed to help diverse audiences engage with content, architecture and routes.
- Accessible, thoughtful communication, in which texts, images, signage, maps, digital media and visitor materials become tools for independence and participation.
- Exhibition concepts that combine cultural rigour, quality of form, attention to detail and sustainable interventions.
Training and workshops
Design for All takes root through a shared culture. Training people, teams and decision-makers means building a common language, making design choices more aware and turning accessibility and inclusion into practical, measurable and transferable skills.
We design training programmes and practical workshops for companies, public bodies, museums, foundations, professional bodies, schools, universities and organisations that want to integrate Design for All into their decision-making, design and management processes.
We see training as a tool for change: it helps teams recognise needs, understand complex contexts, identify barriers and turn this evidence into design criteria, operational priorities and coherent action.
Activities
- Introductory courses, for a common vocabulary on Design for All.
- Co-Design workshops, to turn needs and problems into practical guidance.
- Team training, on accessibility, ergonomics, comfort and user experience.
- Specialist modules, for products, spaces, services, museums and organisations.
- Work on real cases, with criteria, maps of problems and synthesis tools.
UX/UI and communication
Every technological product is also an experience of use. Touchscreens, apps, control panels, digital devices and interactive systems are not just interfaces: they are where people, functions and decisions meet. If they are not legible, understandable and accessible, the system loses value before it is even used.
We treat UX, UI and visual communication as an integral part of the Design for All process. When a product incorporates a digital interface, a display or a touch system, design quality is not only about form, function and materials, but also about information hierarchies, legibility, feedback, comprehension, independent use and error tolerance.
Activities
- Analysis of the user experience, to identify problems of access, comprehension, orientation and interaction.
- Information architecture, to organise content, functions and decision paths more clearly and accessibly.
- Interface wireframes and prototypes, to test flows, hierarchies, micro-interactions and usage scenarios.
- Design for All UX/UI criteria, covering legibility, feedback, control, error prevention and consistency between the physical and the digital product.
- Support for visual communication, to make materials, instructions, maps, layouts and content clearer and more consistent.
Results
- Interfaces that do not exclude, able to guide different people without losing aesthetic quality.
- Intelligent visual hierarchies, in which text, icons, colours and feedback guide action.
- Continuity between object and interface, because an inclusive product also lives in its digital controls.
- More reliable experiences, in which clarity and cognitive comfort become perceived value.
Prototypes, models and design testing
When the project calls for it, we use physical models and rapid prototypes to evaluate form, dimensions, proportions, the way the object is used and early functional hypotheses. Prototyping is not a separate service but a testing tool: it reduces uncertainty, makes discussion with stakeholders and users easier and strengthens the step from concept to solution.
- Realistic models for evaluations that provide valuable insights
- Quick availability thanks to fast processes
- Optimised project development times
Let’s talk about your project
Every project starts from a context. Tell us about your product, your cultural institution or your design challenge, and we’ll look at how our Design for All and Inclusive Design consultancy could support you in the next stage.
You can also write to forall@rodighiero.design
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between accessibility, Design for All and Inclusive Design?
Accessibility is about whether people can actually use products, spaces, services and information. Design for All and Inclusive Design work further upstream, building that quality into the design process so that solutions are easier to understand, more comfortable, more desirable and usable by a wide range of people.
Is the consultancy only about people with disabilities?
No. Disability is a fundamental reference, but Design for All considers human diversity in a broader sense: age, motor, sensory and cognitive abilities, temporary conditions, contexts of use, skills, cultures, expectations and different ways of living the experience.
What areas does Rodighiero.Design for All work in?
Our consultancy can cover products, environments, services, museums, cultural venues, digital interfaces, accessible communication, training and organisational processes. Each project is shaped around its context, its objectives and the stage it has reached.
When is the best time to bring in Design for All consultancy?
In the early stages of the project, while decisions are still open and can shape form, function, experience and investment. We can also work on existing products, spaces or services, to identify problems, opportunities for improvement and new directions for development.
What does a consultancy project actually produce?
Depending on the project, consultancy can produce analyses of the current situation, maps of problems, design criteria, operational guidelines, concepts, meta-design solutions, prototypes, workshops, summary reports and tools to guide decisions, design and implementation.
Does Design for All increase project costs?
Not necessarily. If it is integrated from the outset, it can reduce later corrections, late adaptations, misinterpretations and special solutions added afterwards. The value is not only ethical or cultural: it also concerns quality of use, a wider audience, design consistency and better management of the investment.
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to our products?
It depends on the category and the service. Since 28 June 2025, Directive (EU) 2019/882, transposed in Italy by Legislative Decree 82/2022, has applied accessibility requirements to certain products and services, including computers, smartphones, some self-service terminals, e-readers, e-commerce, consumer banking services and specific elements of passenger transport services. Scope, exemptions and transitional provisions must be checked case by case. The consultancy integrates these requirements into design decisions; their legal interpretation still requires the advice of a lawyer.
European Accessibility Act: what really changes for product design companies
How does a consultancy project work?
Each project is tailored. It usually starts with an analysis of the context and objectives, continues by listening to users and stakeholders, includes research and Co-Design, and leads to the definition of criteria, scenarios, guidelines or design solutions that can be tested.
Do you also work with companies and product development departments?
Yes. We work alongside companies’ R&D, marketing and development teams on the critical review of products, systems and contexts of use, with particular attention to accessibility, ergonomics, comfort, quality of form, desirability and consistency with the product’s identity.
Do you also work with museums and cultural institutions?
Yes. The work can cover the visitor experience, wayfinding, communication, exhibition design, environmental comfort, physical, sensory and cognitive accessibility, staff training, operational guidelines and support for improvement plans or PEBA (Italian plans for the removal of architectural barriers).
Is it possible to commission only a workshop or a training course?
Yes. Workshops and training programmes can be run as stand-alone interventions or as a first step towards a broader project. They help to build a common language, bring problems to light and transfer practical tools to technical, management and decision-making teams.
Do you also work on UX/UI and digital interfaces?
Yes, when the interface is part of the experience of using a product, service or system. Touchscreens, apps, displays, digital controls and information materials must be legible, understandable, accessible and consistent with the physical product and the context of use.
Does Design for All consultancy replace the work of architects, designers or in-house technical staff?
No. It supports and strengthens the work of existing teams, bringing criteria, an approach, critical analysis and tools that help designers, companies and organisations make better-informed, more inclusive and verifiable decisions.
Can we start with an initial conversation, without defining an assignment straight away?
Yes. The first step can be a preliminary conversation to understand objectives, problems, context, timing and possible ways of working. From there we can assess whether to start a consultancy project, a workshop, a training course or a more structured analysis phase.
Does Rodighiero.Design for All also work with clients outside Italy?
Yes. Design for All and Inclusive Design are increasingly relevant internationally, particularly for companies, museums, cultural institutions and organisations that want to integrate accessibility, inclusion and quality of experience into their design processes.