Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design

Holmes led inclusive design at Microsoft and argues that disability is a mismatch between a person and their environment rather than a fixed personal attribute. The book traces where exclusion enters design decisions, drawing examples from typography, gaming controllers and the built environment, and shows how solving for one group repeatedly turns out to benefit many. It sets out a way of working that treats excluded users as experts and brings them into the design process rather than designing on their behalf. Later chapters deal with making the case inside an organisation and sustaining the practice once the initial enthusiasm fades. Short, argumentative and a good starting point before the accessibility standards.