The most effective mental model I've heard for this comes from Donna Dozier Gordon of H&M, who talks about "Inclusion and Diversity by Design." This framework is about embedding inclusivity into the very first stages of your process, from product development and business strategy, rather than trying to bolt it on at the end with a marketing campaign.
Applying this starts at the literal drawing board. Instead of creating a product line and then deciding to add a few extended sizes, the "by design" approach means you consider a broader range of customers from the very beginning. As Donna Dozier Gordon explained on Total Retail Talks, this is about true customer centricity. It’s the difference between tokenism and genuine representation, a point Liza Amlani made on Retail Remix. For example, a fashion brand practicing this wouldn’t just offer XXL versions of its standard designs; it would study how different fabrics and cuts work for different body types and incorporate those learnings into the core collection. This approach creates better products and, as Amlani notes, drives significant customer loyalty.
Of course, you can’t design in a vacuum. The next step is creating strong customer feedback mechanisms. This means actively listening to the communities you want to serve. Are you running focus groups? Are you co-creating products with influencers and leaders from those communities? This ensures you’re not just making assumptions about what people need, whether it’s related to size inclusivity, adaptive features for people with disabilities, or products for different skin tones. Real inclusivity is a dialogue, not a monologue.
The final step is to extend the "by design" philosophy to your digital product: your website. On an episode of Ecommerce Conversations, Joseph Dolson made it clear that a product isn