There can often be a tendency for investments to focus on developing products, services and policies for an ‘average’ user in an ‘average’ situation. The result is that we can miss out on those who are most vulnerable while in the search for a solution that is responsive to a larger majority.
To focus on greater equity for more vulnerable groups, you may want to bring in a design partner who has the explicit role of developing solutions that would respond to the needs and wants of less typical users in harder to reach settings and scenarios. Developing an understanding of what people on the margins of a population group may need will help you to reach that broader population overall. This is because a solution that meets the needs of what designers often call the "extreme user" will also typically work for your majority user. Additionally, talking to users who are more difficult to reach can often spark creativity by opening up the design process to new situations and considerations.
