Universal Design: Principles and Models

As the baby boom generation ages, it is crucial that designers understand all they can about bringing this group, as well as all others, design that will offer function, aesthetics, and quality of life. Full of examples and illustrated with pictures of good design, Universal Design: Principles and Models details how the principles of universal design (UD) can be used to evaluate all products and places. Universal design is ubiquitous; therefore good examples are essential to understanding. This book includes more than 50 case studies that demonstrate successful applications of UD principles and helps professors develop curriculum and teaching strategies. More than 300 color photographs and drawings further illustrate the principles and best practices. The book includes topics ranging from the development of ergonomic chairs for home and office to the unique environmental concerns of those sensitive to electronic and chemical emissions. The examples illustrate a variety of user/groups in different situations and clearly demonstrate the design directives for meeting their needs. The author explores the many definitions of UD, enabling readers to identify those most meaningful to large portions of the population. Universal design (UD) facilitates the comfort and navigation of those with failing eyesight or restricted mobility, and the family members and professionals who care for them. Whether at home, work, or a public place, people appreciate the beautiful and the practical. This book takes a vital and meaningful approach, going beyond the basics and delving into details. It gets to the heart of UD and supplies an understanding of design from a greater perspective.

Table of Contents:
Universal Design Defined. The Americans with Disabilities Act. The Universal Design Process. Implications for Facility Managers + ADA Compliance. Enabling Products. Universal Design in the Office. Design of Commercial Environments. Universal Design in the Home. Marketing Universal Design. Sustainability. Resources.

Review :
"This new edition has been thoroughly updated for the twenty-first century. It predicts trends in housing design, the desire of all people to live in dignity in their home from birth until death. It suggests related design groups and persons who address this topic of universal design. I found it is essential for students to have the latest, upgraded information in interior design to prepare them for a career in this profession." ––Barbara Daher, Chabot College Retired Instructor of Interior Design "Universal Design has grown from being seen as ‘design for a niche market’ to ‘mainstream design that incorporates flexibility, beauty, and access,’ and Roberta Null has been passionate about it from the start. Her involvement has been all-inclusive so that the definitions, examples, best practices, trends, and resources draw from architecture, building, remodeling, social and cultural efforts, and of course, interior design, including her own experiences and those of her many colleagues and friends in the field. We are all students of universal design, and this text will be a basic go-to book on the shelves of every office relating to the field of design." — Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD, CAPS, CAASH*, mjpdesign.com "Roberta Null has created an excellent book on Universal Design! This book hits the ground running with history of UD, great photo examples of beautiful, universal design, and detailed information bound to change attitudes about designing for all people. She shows the designer and lay person alike that function and design can collide to explode into attractive models of home and community design that will welcome all people to live and socialize together. Well done, Roberta!" —Colleen Kelly Starkloff, Starkloff Disability Institute "… a valuable resource for anyone interested in teaching or learning about the Universal Design movement: where it came from, where it is today, and what are important trends to watch as Universal Design evolves in the 21st" Century." —John Salmen, Affiliation: UniversalDesign.com