Illectronism, starting at the foundation of inclusivity.

I recently learned a new term that stuck with me: Illectronism. A somehow new word, the contraction of illiteracy and electronics. Definition is “the difficulty or inability of a person to use digital devices and computer tools due to a lack or complete absence of knowledge about the way if operates” (according to the encyclopaedia).

When designing a website or application, research is carried out with the audience in mind, usability tests are here to assess what has been produced. We work on accessible solutions for visually impaired people, we run simplification reviews, we sometimes produce alternate versions of pages with simplified explanations, we improve performance as much as we can so that our sites can deliver information without the most badass network access, etc.

We honestly tend to neglect people for whom even using a smartphone or a computer is complicated. It is not a new topic but right now, as everything becomes an online thing, from education to entertainment, even making an appointment to get vaccinated: we want to make it count.

How can we better integrate these people? How can we avoid discriminating them, when our role consists of putting services and information on a device they fear?

- Noémie

Illustration © pch.vector