Architect and Associate Jennifer Freeman’s perspective on inclusive design began long before her career in architecture. As a teenager, she trained alongside Paralympic swimmers and later began volunteering with Port Glasgow Otters, a community swim club in Scotland, UK that supports people with a wide range of disabilities, which she now leads today.
Working closely with people who experience the built environment differently gave her early insight into how barriers often arise not from ability, but by environments that were never designed with diverse needs in mind. That experience guides her approach to every project, prompting early questions about who spaces are really designed for and how design decisions can either remove barriers or reinforce them.
For International Women’s Day and this year’s theme, Give to Gain, Jennifer’s work reflects a simple principle. When project teams give time early to listen, challenge assumptions, and understand lived experience, they gain the clarity needed to make better decisions and avoid problems later.
We spoke with Jennifer about where that focus matters most and what it makes possible for clients and communities.
What needs to happen early in a project to achieve better outcomes?
For me, it’s about recognizing that listening is part of the design work, not separate from it. Architects bring experience, but nothing replaces the insight of people who live in that space every day.
When teams give time early to hear those perspectives, especially from people who are often overlooked, they gain a clarity that helps shape informed decisions from the very start. That investment avoids assumptions becoming built in and creates spaces that work for the widest range of users. Time spent listening isn’t a delay; it’s the foundation for design that truly works.
Where does inclusive thinking have the greatest impact?
Right at the beginning. You are shaping the brief, setting priorities, and defining what matters most. Those early decisions influence everything that follows, from layout and circulation to wayfinding and overall usability.
Once layouts are fixed, you are reacting. Early conversations create a shared understanding and help keep the original intent alive through design and delivery. For me, inclusive design isn’t an add-on; it’s the starting point. Designing with inclusion at the forefront leads to better outcomes for everyone.
How does this thinking influence the user experience?
A good user experience should feel like a natural, intuitive journey. It shouldn’t feel separate, specialist, or like an alternative route. Small design choices can make a big difference. Being able to see into a space before entering can reduce uncertainty, while clear visual cues, daylight, and views out help people feel oriented and confident.
These details matter most for people with sensory, cognitive, or physical needs, such as Additional Support Needs (ASN) environments, but fundamentally they improve the experience for everyone. At its best, inclusion doesn’t stand out; it’s embedded in decisions that allow every individual to move through a space with independence and confidence.
What do clients and communities gain from this approach?
Early inclusive thinking leads to clearer briefs, stronger alignment around priorities, and fewer unexpected changes as a project develops.
For clients, that often means a smoother process and greater confidence that the design will perform as intended. For communities, it means spaces that are easier to use, more comfortable to navigate, and genuinely response to the people who depend on them every day.
Ultimately, when these decisions are considered early, inclusive design moves beyond compliance. It becomes a practical way to reduce risk and create environments that work for everyone, from the moment they’re first imagined.
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