What is Accessible Design? Behind the Design of Michael Graves Design x Pottery Barn

Design Philosophy: How Accessible Design is Defined in the Context of Furniture

Accessible design means creating furniture that can be reached, used, understood, and appreciated by as many people as possible. Accessible home design ensures that homes allow individuals of all abilities to live independently and with dignity. Since furniture is fundamental to home functionality, we focused our efforts there, driven to design pieces that are not only visually appealing but also feature functional enhancements. These enhancements make homes safer for individuals with permanent, temporary, or situational disabilities, those aging in place, people planning for the future, and those who want to ensure their homes are welcoming for everyone.

Key Principles of Accessible Furniture Design

When designing accessible furniture, preventing falls is our top priority. Our designs include subtle features throughout that help achieve this goal. Another principle is Easier Ingress/Egress, ensuring that getting in and out of the furniture is as simple as possible, often without relying on technology. The third principle focuses on enhanced comfort, while the fourth is about optimized management—making the furniture easy to use and maintain.

Collaboration with Pottery Barn

In July 2022, Pottery Barn introduced its first collection of accessible furniture. Following the success of that launch, Pottery Barn decided to expand its investment in accessible design. Given our history with Design for All and our expertise in accessible design, they reached out to collaborate on a branded design collection. It quickly became a mutual admiration partnership.

Pottery Barn is known for creating lifestyle furniture like no other. Our focus on the Activities of Daily Living aligned perfectly with Pottery Barn’s commitment to enhancing lifestyle experiences. Watching their meticulous attention to detail and sharing in that vision has been an exciting and rewarding process for us.

‘Design With’ Process

We engaged various groups including older adults, individuals with permanent disabilities such as wheelchair users and those with Parkinson's Disease, people with temporary disabilities (e.g., recovering from surgeries or sports injuries), and individuals with situational limitations (like carrying a laundry basket). We also consulted with caregivers, medical doctors, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers, and family caregivers to ensure our designs truly meet the needs of diverse users.