Visability Market

MOORFIELDS EYE HOSPITAL

OLD STREET STATION

Ana Cristina Quintero Ruiz Christy Ho Alexandra Hochguertel Lola De Coster

PEERLESS STREET onsite asistance BA

LD

WELCOME BOOTH

W

IN

ST

welcome & map

2

14

A

1

ARABIC

CAKES

COFFEE

13

B

2

GERMAN

COOKIES

PIZZA

12

C

3

RUSSIA

11

POLISH

WAFFLES

welcome & map; (guide) dog friendly

PASTA

10

4

DRINKS

JAPAN

umbrella chair table sunchair bench soft, matt floor PLACE TO UNWIND

natural flooring food stand concrete, matt floor tactile paving 10m

Visability food Market an experience for everyone.

Problem

Process

proposal

A quarter of the visually impaired people in London find it hard to eat out; various factors make dinning out an intimidating experience where ambience, budget and transportation must be taken into consideration.

Moreover, isolation when eating becomes a prevailing issue, not only for this community, but for all.

Through interviews, research and prototyping we understood many factors, like noise and lightning, that can transform a dining experience for the visually impaired and create a calm space for those with no disabilities. Hence, we analysed the London’s iconic food market scene and thought about how might we make it accessible and enjoyable.

Visability food market is the proposal of an inclusive food market specifically designed for the visually impaired but thought of as a gathering space for all the neighbourhood’s dwellers. Through the market we enable social interaction and reduce isolation, with the aim of building a diverse community that revolves around food.

Out of the 200,000 blind people in London, only 40,000 are of working age. Most of them live on a low income as their disabilities restrict them from job opportunities. After visiting the Vision Foundation and speaking with the communications manager, Mark Ellis, we understood how these same disabilities create daily luxuries like dinning out, a hassle, rather than a pleasure. This leads to social isolation in a very fastpaced city, an issue non-exclusive to the visually impaired.Old Street, the area of the biggest eye hospital in England and home to several tech companies,was therefore seen to be the ideal place to launch a fully inclusive food market. Our food market Visability aims to act as a humble gathering and budget-friendly space that utilises multi-sensoryaids such as noise reduction to create a tranquil and inclusive experience in the heart of London for all.

RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Space conditions · Near Moorfields eye hospital · Abundance of light · Best contrasting colours (ie. black & yellow) · Noise and eco-reduction · Affordable prices · Guide dog friendly · Food that does not drip · Carpet to distinct where spaces start and end · Online menu and map connected with onsite QR codes · Onsite assistance · Rows labeled by number

FEELING: Dependance on others to read the menu, which generates a feeling of hopelessness SOLUTION: Well lit, contrast intensive, large print menu with a QR code that leads customer to a Voice Over menu

FEELING: Dizziness and disorientation because of because of too loud music and too much noise in the direct environment SOLUTION: Using noise absorbing materials that are soft, like the curtains, and avoiding hard surfaces

FEELING: Unwelcomed to restaurants because of the guide dog and hygiene SOLUTION: Being guide dog friendly and having designated areas for them + hand sanitizers

FEELING: Instability when needing to let go of the cane to find cash, which generates fear of falling SOLUTION: Implementing strategic handrails in the till and waiting area

FEELING: Sense of being lost because the floor is the same in traditional markets SOLUTION: Having textured floor that indicates the main path and branches into the stalls to improve navigation

FEELING: Ashamed of dripping the food SOLUTION: Specifically curating food to be more handy and eatable, while training employees to advice on tempertature or other possible complications

non-visually impaired

visually impaired

FEELING: tired and stressed of not being able to find a calm environment to relax or eat during work breaks SOLUTION: A area where sound is minimized with the availabilty to sit and relax in a calm atmosphere with seating areas and deck chairs

FEELING: Loss and insecurity of not being able to find a place to calmly enjoy their meal or to relax in SOLUTION: Place provided with stable chairs, benches and tables to sit and eat and deck chairs to relax

1

Theory of Change Application LONG TERM GOAL

OUTCOMES

Accessible spaces that are inclusive for the visually impaired

Blind people can feel included in simple, daily activities

Sets an example for all other spaces to become more accessible

2 Systems Thinking

ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES

Easy-to-see

Friendly to users Easy-to-read Highlights problem for those beyond the target group

Blind people can enjoy a place without a feeling of dependency

More interaction between the visually impaired and non-impaired

Eliminates problem for target audience

Use of lights

Efficiency

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

A market that caters to a wider audience through accessibility features

ACTIVITIES

A communal space that brings together social groups which normally do not interact

CURRENT GOAL

A market with visually impaired friendly features in the heart of London

Menu Social interaction

KPIs for social innovation · Turn a profit for BlindFund + sustain market · Reduce discriminatory behaviour and attitudes · Mobilize staff to provoke interaction · Attract and create comfort for visually impaired and other disabled groups · Foster social engagement in a dynamic environment · Ensure that inclusion of certain groups does not lead to marginalisation of others · Consider social metrics for popularity growth

Assistance

Social Impact TIME EVIDENCE

COSTUMER JOURNEY

5 - 25 minutes Website

Visits website

Viability 3 5-6 days

40 - 80mins Food market location, market signat, food stand

Employee‘s name tag, food description, menu & price list

Visits food market, browses food supply

Discusses food offer & location, price, service

Makes purchase

Welcomes to the food market & offers guidance

Guides consumers, helps navigating & purchasing

Provides product

20 mins

Credit card, reciept

Reviews, the market on social media

LINE OF INTERACTION FRONTSTAGE EMPLOYEE ACTIONS TECHNOLOGY

promotion Channels

Support

Monthly food market connected with a fundraising event + familiarize with customers and space

Social Media Instagram, Facebook, Twitter Accessibity foundations Vision Foundation Hospital & Care facilities Moorfield Eye Hospital Magazines and journals Time Out London, Metro, Guardian Forums Reddit Word of Mouth

Vision Foundation South Bank, SE1 7QD Communication manager Moorfield Eye Hospital Communication team & direction Urban Locker Self Storage Location of market London, EC1V 9EX Store manager City Council Planning department

Weekly with regulars as popularity increases Automated question to rate the experinece

Support Chat; VoiceOver

Time

Permanent market

LINE OF VISIBILITY BACKSTAGE ACTIONS

Respond to chat questions

Point of Sales System

Respond to questions in review comment

Payment Process

Analytics logs to social media

LINE OF INTERNAL INTERACTION SUPPORT PROCESSORS

Analytics logs visitor

Foot traffic scanner, Google maps

Through this user blueprint it can be seen how the market would create social impact for the primary audience, the visually impaired, and the secondary audience, the people that visit Old Street daily. This new environment, relying on existing tools and the collaboration between different communities, ultimately improves the social dynamics by providing an interactive space.

Environmental Impact Nonetheless, there are always environmental considerations that can ensure the market is as responsible as possible. Locally sourcing staff and food, having proper waste management and efficiently utilizing energy can reduce the footprint of the market overall. A local communinity farm at the market can be explored too

KEY PARTNETSHIPS

KEY ACTIVITIES

Partnering with a well known market (ie. Mercato) and a foundation (ie. Vision Foundation) to expand the vision for further markets

· Percentage of profits towards a blind fund · Support caterers of all backgrounds · Monitor feedback

Circular model CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

VALUE PROPOSITION

· Have representatives available for instant feedback · Local sourcing

Visability Market an accessible market place with an inclusive attitude

ACCESSIBLE Exmouth Market

Visablity Food Market

Future expansion

4

Mercato Metropolitano

PROFITS + REVENUE

Brick Lane Market

LOW COST

Competitor BenchMarking Old Spitalfields Market Broadway Market

HIGH COST

Camdem Market Borough Market

INACCESSIBLE

Creativity & Innovation PRODUCT

PROMOTION

An inclusive street food market where accessibility is pushed to its maximum to cater to the visually impaired.

Specifications: Budget-friendly, easy to eat street food, easy to use cutlery, black and yellow colour palette, online/app

Advertising: Word of mouth and support groups Promotional strategy: “A new food market experience in London open to all” Publicity and public relations: Forums, Facebook groups, accessibility funds, launchevents,

Time out London, hospital facilities.

PLACE

Marketing PRICE Strategy

Low to medium fares in order to cater for the

Where: Near Moorfield Eye Hospital Distribution: The food of the market will be locally sourced to cut costs on transportation, noting that local produce can sometimes be more expensive.

Transportation: There will be assistance in the hospital and at the tube station for the blind.

visually impaired, acknowledging the price will naturally attract the secondary audience.

Competitors: Prices in other London street food markets are usually between £7 and £11 pounds and tend to be expensive for individuals on a low income.

· Percentage of profit towards blind funds · Revenue towards renovations and iterations from feedback · Development of new markets

ACTIVITY DEVELOPMENT · Cooking classes in the market to vinculate more demographics · Market community farm · Market lates · Food truck version of the market to visit areas with a large visually impaired community · App and website development to improve market experience · Enabling a space for interaction between the UX / UI designers of the area and the visually impaired

PARTNERSHIPS WITH · Blind Funds to connect with their existing demographic · Markets to sponsor new accessible spaces · Restaurants to create a better and more respectful environment

APPLICATIONS · Handbook to apply in other markets · Model of innovation for other industries (ie. retail) · Development of accessibility friendly cutlery

jacob

Maria

DYLAN

Age: 32 Blind since birth with some light perception He loves to trying different cuisines around the world

Age: 25 University graduate student Her aunt is visually impaired likes to go to the theater when she is visiting her

Age: 30 Work in a design studio in Old Street Likes to interact in social settings He enjoys jazz music and eating out

Goals When her aunt comes to visit her she wants to show her around London She aims to look for a cool space where she could safely take her Favorite Tools Iphone Laptop Notebook Motivations She wants to create more awareness about visually impaired people She wants to give her aunt a trip to London without needing her to ask for help too much.

Frustrations She dislikes how exclusive London’s public spaces and restaurants are.

Many food markets in London are overcrowded and confusing for her.

Goals To balance going out and his busy work schedule To enjoy going independently to a food market Favorite Tools Piano Laptop Analogue film camera Motivations To have a quick break from work during his lunch break Being able to relax away from his busy office To take pictures and find design inspirations around Old Street Frustrations Losing time to find a place to eat during his break Not being able to fully relax and escape the busy city Not finding refreshing design inspiration around his work environment.

Goals He enjoys food and wants to make a shared activity out of it He want to have a regular eat out experience with other peoples involved Favorite Tools Computer Blind cane Voice assistants (Siri, Alexa, Cortona) Motivations A sense of independence: being able to go to a restaurant by your own and order food A sense of belonging: he wants to be part of a community where he would not need to be treated more different than others Frustrations When the restaurant does not have a digital menu to look up When the print is to small on signs and the market does not follow a consistent grid Public spaces not having enough large print maps for orientation

StoryBoard: How will Jacob and visually impaired people reach the market

Location scouting Location scouting was done near the hospital and above the Urban Locker we discovered a green area that would be ideal for the market — elevated from the city, free of radical noise and easily accessible from the hospital. We also noticed how we can navigate from the tube station to the Moorfields Eye Hospital. For the visually impaired, there is a green line on the floor to indicate the path.

prototyping After deciding that our project would be an inclusive market, tailored for the visually impaired, we decided that the most feasible way to prototype would be to launch our idea on a blind community forum in Reddit, a website for content rating and discussions. Due to the lack of time we had for prototyping, we could only interview one blind per- son from London. This prototyping technique ended up being very useful as the conversation introduced new insights that helped improve the overall accessibility of the market.

Most people agreed that consistency was key, not only in terms of number labeled rows, but of what was in each position. This would make it easier for visually impaired people to go back to the market and navigate easier each time, fostering customer loyalty. Moreover, they agreed on our choice of mats as flooring to indicate the start and end of areas, which we designed as textured paths along the whole market. In terms of commodity, we were advised to have large print menus that were well-lit, and to have QR codes that would allow the blind people to easily access a voice-over menu. We opted for this option instead of the commonly associated braille in reality, only less than 10% of the visually impaired people know how to read it. Extra lamps were added for even better lighting. In terms of hygiene, we realised there were a lot of concerns regarding the guide dogs, therefore we have designed the space taking into consideration the need to accommodate guide dogs when buying and consuming the food. Furthermore, there was also a consensus in preference for a sitting area, which we included in the final plan. Lastly, we took upon advice to use handrails to assist those that use a cane, and added some at each stand to make the waiting and buying experience as comfortable as possible.

Alternative Layouts of the market space

Post-analysis of the group discussion on Reddit and after doing further research, we edited these initial renders and improvements to be more suitable for our audience. Some designs remained such as the consistency of all stands, the use of black and yellow labels, and the uniquness in the flooring to indicate the start of new areas.

2 15

ARABIC

16

C

COOKIES

B

CAKES

A

4

3

PIZZA

2

COFFEE

1

5

9

DRINKS

8

DRINKS

7

BA

ST

OLD STREET STATION

IN

LD W

concrete, matt floor

natural flooring

non-slip, soft, matt floor

LONDON CITY MARKET

welcome & map; (guide) dog friendly

MOORFIELDS EYE HOSPITAL

GERMA N

WAFFLES

JAPAN

PEERLESS STREET onsite asistance

14

D

WELCOME BOOTH

RUSSIA

SWEETS

welcome & map

13

12

6

THAI

PASTA

POLISH

ENGLISH

DRINKS

INDIA

11

10

DRINKS

DRINKS

handrails

SEATING AREA

10m

tactile paving

ALternative projects Through the application of a design sprint, we held an ideation workshop that consisted of brainstorming and drawing. This led to the development of three solid ideas that were tested against the brief to further iterate on their flaws.

brief

Food Truck

Cooking Class

Market place