SPEKTRA
Designing for Digital Inclusion
Inclusive Design
Wireframing
Accessible Design
Webdesign
User Research
About
As part of my graduation project at the University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam developed with Kenniscentrum Creating 010 in collaboration with New Future Lab. I set out to explore the barriers beginner designers face when approaching inclusive digital design. Imagine being a passionate, early-career digital designer. You want your designs to work for everyone. But you run into walls: What does inclusion even mean? How do you start designing for accessibility? And where do you find tools and knowledge that actually help? Startups and solo designers often feel overwhelmed. Guidelines seem rigid and uncreative. Clients don’t ask for it and often don’t allocate extra budget for the learning curve or additional research inclusive design may require. And yet, millions of users are left behind. There was no central, practical, and inspiring place to learn, explore, and apply inclusive design in a way that feels relevant, doable, and creatively engaging.
January 2024 – July 1, 2024 (Q1–Q2 2024)
UX/UI Design, Digital Accessibility, Inclusive Design, Civic Tech, Education, Social Innovation
How can we design digital services that are truly usable for everyone, regardless of physical or mental limitations, age, health, background, or context of use?
This question by Kennis Centrum Creating 010 was the starting point of my graduation journey. At a time when 53.3% of Dutch e-commerce websites were not digitally accessible (2024), many people were, and still are excluded from the digital world. Despite legislation (June 28, 2025), existing tools like WCAG and Gebruiker Centraal fall short because they’re too technical, too text heavy and too abstract for the social and creative mindsets of young digital designers.
Goals
Make an easy to find inspiration tool of knowledge and up to date insights centred around digital inclusion and digital accesibility.
Make existing accessibility guidelines understandable, applicable, and engaging through practical and interactive examples.
The vision? To spark action and confidence in beginner designers ready to take the first step into inclusive and accessible design.
The Design Approach
I've followed a human-centered, iterative design process rooted in real needs of both Designers and Inclusive/Accesible experts by experience
Research & Discovery
I interviewed 10+ early-career UX/UI designers and accessible/Inclusive experts by experience. I conducted observations, attended multiple inclusive and Accessibility events and discussion panels , and did extensive desk research. Key insight: - Most beginner designers had a blind spot for the broad spectrum of human experiences. They struggled to apply WCAG practically and feared losing creative freedom. - Many wished for a database of real users with disabilities but through co-creation and conversations with experts, I realized what they needed was not data access, but empathy and real-world context.
Concept & Co-Creation
Based on all findings, I prototyped early concepts that moved beyond checklists and simulations.
I deliberately steered away from "retroactive testing" tools and built Spektra to act as a discovery space: one that celebrates diversity, shares real-life insights, and turns complex knowledge into applicable tools.
I balanced the vision of the stakeholders, the realities of future laws, and the creative needs of my generation of digital designers.
The Outcome: Spektra
Key Features of Spektra
A curated, evolving library of practical tools and inclusive design methods
Real-life case studies and testimonials from users with lived experience and Experienced Designers and Agencies
Visually inspiring UI that doesn’t compromise on accessibility
A clear explanation of what inclusion is, what it’s not, and how to start
No checklists, just real design considerations, diverse lenses, and guided entry points
The Impact
Spektra lays the foundation for a new design culture.
One where accessibility is not an afterthought but a starting point. One that narrows the gap between designers and users with diverse needs both digitally and in the real world.
There is no other platform like Spektra. It’s not only a space to learn but to discover, a community-built effort to make the design process more inclusive, humane, and creatively free.
Spektra doesn’t just inform. It connects. It empowers. And it proves that inclusive design is not a limitation, but a superpower
