Post by
An upwards movement in society is inclusion: making sure people in all forms of diversity are seen, heard, and appropriately represented. This includes age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, orientation, and physical and mental ability. As America becomes more diverse in its population, it is important for the print marketing and design world to evolve as well. Below are some ways to incorporate inclusivity into your brand, especially in print and design.
Accessibility
Being aware of accessibility in print marketing and design is key for people who have physical limitations, from color blindness and vision impairments to full vision loss. A few ways to implement accessibility in your designs would be through high-contrast colors, symbols, font choice/size, clear and concise language, text alignment and leading, and the use of braille if it is available.
According to a document written by Vera, the most legible font choice would be a sans serif font such as Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri. Couple that with a good readable font size at 14 points and you can ease eye strain and make reading less challenging. They also make note that it’s important to use high-contrast colors, in conjunction with symbols, for people with low visibility, age-related vision loss, and color blindness. This allows people who can access color to visually see a difference and the use of a symbol, such as an asterisk, allows all users to recognize it.
Use Diverse Imagery
While the most prevalent ethnic group in America is White non-Hispanic, minorities are increasing and nearly equaling half of the population. As specified by the 2020 Census, since 2010, there has been a decrease in White non-Hispanics from 63.7% to 57.8% and an increase in the Latino, African American & other minority groups rising to 42.2%. Aside from ethnic groups, 26% of adults have some type of disability and, in addition, the LGBTQ+ identity has also increased from 5.6% in 2020 to 7.1% in 2021.
With that in mind, remember that marketing relies heavily on imagery to connect with a target audience. It’s what immediately draws someone in to make them want to know more. If the imagery isn’t inclusive, many will shy away instead. It’s necessary that there are visual representations of diversity in designs in order to connect with broader audiences.
There are many free and paid stock photo sites that offer a wide range of diversity in their images. Lyrical Host has curated a large list of stock photography sites that are wonderful resources to use. Some of these sites include more diversity-focused imagery such as Nappy.co, Mocha Stock, Women in Tech, and Envato Stock, as well as a broader range of imagery, illustrations, and vectors like Adobe Stock and iStock.
Use Inclusive Language
When content creating, make sure your language is clear and concise, free of slang, remarks, jargon, and other verbiage that discriminates against a group of people. Inclusive language also allows your reader to understand the message better and prevents any potential barriers.
Considering Everything…
Marketing is all about connecting with people to promote a product or service that can help solve a problem. Inclusive marketing is implementing all of the same strategies but in a way that allows all forms of diversity to connect as well. You can prioritize this in your print marketing and design through accessibility, thoughtful imagery, and inclusive language. This will help reach as wide an audience as possible, all the while reflecting your company’s inclusive values.
