Designing AS People

Universal Design is not a single solution, but a practice of evolving possibilities. Seventy years after Henry Dreyfuss’s 1955 classic Designing For People, design researcher and social innovator Yanki Lee advances a new framework of designing FOR, WITH, BY, and AS people.


‘Through powerful cases by the Kolding School of Design community and the visionary gaze of Yanki Lee, Designing AS People challenges us to reimagine design as a shared practice of connection, care, and co-creation, revealing how inclusive environments can be created and realised.’
Carina Christensen, Rector at Kolding School of Design since 2025.


‘Designing AS People explores how a design school can play a transformative role in the education and formation of future generations of designers.’
Lene Tanggaard, PhD, Professor, Aalborg University; Rector, Kolding School of Design (2019–2025).


‘The collection of projects showcases years of societal and collaborative design work and research by Kolding School of Design, discussed through a contemporary Universal Design lens.’
Anne Louise Bang, PhD, Associate Professor, VIA University College; Acting Head and Director of Research & Development, Kolding School of Design (2016–2019).


‘In Designing AS People, Yanki Lee not only provides a thorough presentation of what Universal Design is and what it offers, but – more importantly – sets out a methodology for practising Universal Design. This methodology is grounded in a deep understanding of the concept …This book is a must-read for anyone who wishes to incorporate Universal Design into their own practice.’
Camilla Ryhl, PhD, Research Director, Bevica Foundation, and Head of the Universal Design Hub.