Metrics for Assessing Inclusivity and Empowerment of People for Supporting the Design of Inclusive Product Lifecycles

The design of an inclusive product lifecycle is important for empowering stakeholders through their meaningful inclusion in lifecycle processes. To achieve this, the inclusion of stakeholders must be structured in a way that supports their empowerment. Inclusivity addresses the lifecycle context to improve how diverse stakeholders are included across phases, supporting their empowerment. This study aims to build on current inclusive design approaches, which often focus on empowering users through the use of products. It proposes inclusive lifecycle processes as a way to empower a wider range of stakeholders for sustainable development. We apply a novel framework to real-life case studies from the literature to identify the dimensions of empowerment and inclusivity. By analysing the relationships between these dimensions, we propose specific metrics that show strong causal connections. These metrics allow measurable outcomes to support the fair development of stakeholders. Measuring inclusivity and empowerment can serve as a foundation for supporting sustainability, dignity, well-being, and fair stakeholder development, which are explored further in Part 2 and Part 3 of this study. This study contributes to design science by expanding the understanding of inclusive design through stakeholder inclusion in lifecycle phases and by shifting the focus from product to process design.