How Can Design Empower The Visually Impaired?
CJ Part 1: Research and Development A personal reflection on design decisions and research methods. Craig Priestman
Welcome... I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who have helped research and form this project... Organisations Hartlepool Blind Welfare Association Henshaws Society Newcastle Society For The Blind RNIB Individuals Barbara McLeod Craig Riach Elaine Moron Eamonn Dunne Dennis Parkinson Kimberley Burrows Lucy Dixon Rachel Miller
Lecturers: Anthony Forsyth David Parkinson Howard Fenwick Neil Smith James Thomas
Contents... Initial Exploration
Major Project
Chapter 1 Introduction 6
Chapter 4 Market Awareness 48
Chapter 2 Background Research 12
Chapter 5 Refining The Brief 58
Chapter 3 Key Points of Contact 22
Chapter 6 Adaptive Methods 78 Chapter 7 Personal Reflection 100
How This Book Works... Title Activity. Influencing factors.
Icon Personal thoughts and opinions.
Booklet Icons...
Thoughts
Opportunity
Tutor Feedback
Questions
Success
Findings
Failure
*Imagery rights belong to myself, unless stated otherwise.
What To Do... After much deliberation, three proposals were put forward and discussed with a tutor... 1. How can we improve Fire Safety in the average UK home? 2. How do the Visually Impaired tackle daily tasks? 3. Can we challenge the ‘Throw Away’ culture of the 21st Century?
Inspiration from New Designers, a kitchen safety device.
Motivation This project held a personal interest. Recently a close family friend has lost his sight and I have seen first hand some of his issues.
“Why should they have to suffer?” “Surely there must be something that offers more?”
I felt an enthusiasm to make a difference with design and thought this brief would allow me to challenge and highlight a range of my skills.
2m people
in the UK live with Sight-loss.
By 2050 the RNIB expect that to be over 4 million.
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Possibilities Potential directions and early thoughts about what the project could take.
I was keen to develop a product and aware that whatever I create should be applicable for a wider population.
The Brief Plan: Create an artefact or a range of everyday items, which empowers and provides independence to the VI.
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Why are there so many products available but no clear or practical solutions. 9
The Plan With an incentive not to stay with kitchen products a basic plan was implemented to encourage a range of exploratory research.
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T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Reading Week Proposition
Timeline Plan
Interim Week
Hire GoPro
Secondary Research Understanding Particular Conditions Organising Visits Collaborator Visits Interim Preparation
RSA Hand In
This was only vague, as I realised my interviews would determine how I spent my time. However, I should have broken my project down into greater detail and stuck to it!
JANUARY
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S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Christmas
Validation Book(s) Development Interview Animation
Video Filming
EXPLORATION DEADLINE
Direction Ideation
Develop Collaborators RSA Re-Submit
Dissertation
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Background Research Aiming to gain a broader knowledge of visual impairments, the issues and stigmas related to the blind.
There are many examples of re-designing the cane or improving the mobility, i.e. bus travel. There is a vast array of products, with the majority over priced due to the low sale numbers.
Apart from a family friend, I had no connection and little knowledge of visual impairments. Where to start?
Market Analysis Understanding the support available for the VI. Analysing charities, related services and physical products.
It was important to have a strong understanding and form a reasonable user perspective, and apply this to a range of scenarios.
I felt there was an opportunity to challenge and re-develop VI products currently on the market, but I still wasn’t exactly sure which ones? 13
Challenging Perceptions Scenario Card Game
Investigating people’s beliefs and understanding of visual impairment.
The subject of blindness is marked with a lot of negativity. People really struggled to relate, until educated about conditions and are aware of the variable factors.
Age
Condition
6 - 12 13 - 16 17 - 18 19 - 21 22 - 30 31 - 45 46 +
Short Sighted Glaucoma Degeneration Cataracts Diabetes Colour Blind etc, etc...
Situation
This was a useful tool, starting some interesting debates over what should be done in particular scenarios.
Time of Day
6:00am 9:00am 12:00pm 3:00pm 6:00pm 9:00pm
Environment
In School At Work Travelling Shopping In The Home (Kitchen/Living/ Bathroom)
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Through Their Eyes Using SimSpecs, goggles and hand made glasses, aiming to get a basic feel of common issues the VI have.
Many day to day items would profit from an inclusive design theory.
This only offered a limited perspective. It’ll be worth coming back to later in the project, to analyse my own designs.
17
Recorded Role Play Performing a range of mundane tasks from making a sandwich to filling out a form, capturing a sense of the daily struggles.
Anthony “Be careful with your findings, they may only be a distortion of real life.�
I slowly adapted my own methods as I repeated a task. Using my sense of touch to feel for the buttered side of bread or the sharp edge of a knife.
Opening packaging is challenging, and tests your patience.
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Reflection So Far... At this stage I was pleased with the project choice. I didn’t want to narrow myself with utensils and planned investigate other areas. With my initial research I was confident enough to make some assumptions and investigate. I knew I at this point I had to get out and talk to people.
Key Insights There is a trend that the VI get treated as if their whole life is a problem.
So many ‘day to day’ items would benefit from an inclusive design theory.
Popular items instil independence and positivity on a daily basis.
In all situations, every item takes time to adjust too. It is a real test of patience.
Kitchen utensils could certainly be improved upon and designed with the visually impaired in mind.
Talk to people. Charities and support groups will most likely provide the best opportunity.
Next Steps...
Key Points of Contact After identifying potential routes for further exploration, contact was made with a host of possible collaborators.
From the beginning, I knew collaboration was essential. Contact was made as soon as possible. Over the course of the project some ties were cut to give other areas priority.
Preparation Time was allocated to make sure the most was made from user groups and organisations.
I am also grateful I spent the time to learn how to appropriately communicate with the VI community. 23
Home Observation Family friend, Dennis Parkinson kindly offered to show his living arrangements and personal belongings.
The majority of products had only one function and relied on you having some level of vision. Certain processes had been neglected such as having to use a magnifying glass to change the batteries of another magnifying glass.
Talking to Dennis throughout the project has allowed me keep grounded and continually understand the VI community.
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Hartlepool Welfare Association Meeting the manager, Barbara McLeod, to answer some questions about the VI market and to get to know the people she supports.
“Time and date are crucial for the visually impaired. It gives them a self of freedom and independence instead of asking for help for such a simple task.�
Barbara also highlighted the key issues she has to overcome to provide a beneficial service to the VI. Raising my awareness to the fight against policies, councils and providers.
Initial Focus Group
Focus Group:
Discussing various topics, in particular; habits in the home, sport and packaging. The group helped lay the foundations for my project and amazed me with their positivity and enthusiasm.
Barbara Barry Carol Elsie Judith Margaret Maureen Nancy 27
Packaging Analysis Wondering how packaging could be improved, a second visit to HBWA was arranged to discuss common packaging flaws.
“I tie elastic bands around similar bottles to help identify them easier.� Maureen
Although already most of it was well known, the exercise gave me a better perspective of the daily struggles VI people go through and how they cope.
After Maureen told me about her elastic bands, the group said how good of an idea it was. Making me wonder, could I do something based on her ‘Hack’? 29
Newcastle Society For The Blind Discussing my findings with Elaine and interviewing her about the role she plays in supporting people who are in the process of losing their sight.
Support in the early stages is crucial in preventing a downward spiral in mentality. “When I do my home visits, I encourage people to find their own ways of solving a problem.�
Meeting Elaine really motivated me with her knowledge of the VI and re-directed my project to look closer at the each stage of sight-loss.
Elaine Moron Home Support Worker
“People don’t seem to realise what is out there for them, whether they have to be told by me, their family or their friends it does take a while for people to find the right product for their condition.”
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Reflection So Far... So far contact had been successful. It had took time to arrange meetings, especially with VI groups but had been productive like expected. Discovering Maureen’s hack was interesting but I could only see a service developing from it. At the time I had more enthusiasm for Elaine’s insights.
Key Insights Support in the early stages of sightloss is crucial.
Awareness for available support and aids is extremely poor.
VI people overcome daily problems themselves with their own life hacks.
Maybe their is an opportunity to increase awareness for support in the early stages of sight-loss?
Continue communication. Challenge findings and assumptions.
Next Steps...
NSBP Focus Group A focus group at Newcastle Society for Blind People, aiming to clarify findings and discover potential new directions.
“Anything adapted is ridiculously expensive. They take advantage of our needs.” “My Husband certainly wouldn’t be able to manage independently on what is available from the RNIB at the moment.”
Discussing issues with NSBP only reiterated what I already knew. Looking back, I should have had more of an objective and a range of clear topics to discuss.
Focus Group: Hazel Nora Howard Pat Gladis ©NSBP
©NSBP 35
Meeting With The RNIB The Royal National Institute for the Blind help over 1.8m people in the UK. Contact was made with Lucy Dixon, a Regional Campaign Officer for the North East.
The elderly are much more accepting. Younger people are much more likely to campaign as they feel obliged to do so. RNIB have a small marketing budget. Not everyone is comfortable using our supportive websites, and if people aren’t plugged in immediately to some society they are often unaware of what is available.
I wanted to know a different perspective to the VI and to challenge my findings. Lucy built upon a lot my insights and pointed me in the direction of a younger demographic.
Lucy Dixon RNIB Campaign Officer
“I feel that losing sight at any time is traumatic, but if you are younger and looking for employment for example, opens up a range of new problems, especially with social aspects.�
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Visiting Henshaws Henshaws support a range of ages through sight loss. Arranging to meet with Eamonn and Karen (VI from birth) key talking points were; stages of sight-loss, home independence, sport, technology and employment.
Employment is a major challenge and a concern for the VI. New technology has revolutionized the VI market. The younger generation are more likely to embrace technology. Sport is a great form of empowerment.
It was refreshing to get a different perspective. I had more of an interest as I felt aiming to support younger people may provide more of an original opportunity.
Eamonn Dunne Community Service Manager
“I believe that if someone visually impaired is going to buy something beneficial, it should be one that can adapt to their reduction in sight.�
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Empowerment Through Sport Interested in it’s opportunities, Rachel Miller, Managing Director at Smile Through Sport. A charity that provides the opportunity for the VI and others to participate in sport.
Travelling to the facilities is one of the biggest participation barriers. Having access to appropriate equipment isn’t always easy.
The more I discussed disability sports with Rachel, the more I wanted to form my direction around the subject, but I was struggling to find a unique’ insight to build on.
Rachel was keen to highlight how particular sporting equipment was so problematic for her to purchase and maintain. A product design opportunity? 41
Animation A collection of voice recordings from interviews were visualised into animated clips. Highlighting the key focus points that formed the next stages of the project.
Producing this animation helped define key insights. Forcing me to analyse each interview again with the aim to find the most relevant and interesting insights from my collaborators.
Using programs such as Adobe After Effects and PowerDirector was a new and challenging experience for me. 43
Research Booklets A brief overview of the project. The books divided and summarized collected data into three categories, resulting in potential directions for further research.
Producing these booklets helped synthesize my data and showcase some of my key insights clearly. They also turned out to be useful in future collaborator meetings.
Looking back I should have added more detail, emphasised areas of personal interest and included more of my own designs.
Each booklet had key information broken down into ‘bitesize’ chunks.
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Reflection So Far... Getting out there for my Exploration Project and talking certainly improved my people skills. I gained confidence and persistence led me to investigating the younger demographic. I would of liked to develop culture probes to gather further data, but struggled to find a platform that was appropriate or one the VI agreed too. Looking back, I probably should have decided to investigate particular findings in more detail instead of wanting to cover so many topics.
Key Insights The younger generation are more likely to embrace technology.
The best products fade out as people adapt, or become a daily routine.
Employment is key concern for the VI of ‘Working Age’.
Products should always begin with the smallest amount of assistance.
Sport is a powerful form of empowerment.
Could they be further opportunities with a younger demographic?
“In this case, start to think about narrowing your user group?”
Investigate potential directions.
Anthony
Next Steps...
Market Awareness Discovering how younger or recently visually impaired people have different needs and issues opened up an interesting area to explore.
Young people campaign for simple changes in society, such as coffee shop signage and accessible websites.
Could I tackle a relevant issue to them, especially with our modern society adept with technology?
THE YOUNGER GENERATION A demographic that I feel has unique issues that have been neglected.
Š Jade Sweetbox 49
Blind Football Henshaws United Blind Football Team offered the opportunity to participate in a training session. Providing Sim-Specs to replicate the other players vision.
Blind football is enjoyable for everyone!
I was interested to know if sport was a plausible route. Playing with Henshaw United made me realise how empowering it can be. However, talking with the VI players I struggled to see what I could develop that would provide added benefit.
That’s me... wearing adapted goggles, which replicate light perception in my right field of vision.
Adrian Carl
‘Baz’
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Life Hacks After discovering Maureen’s hack with shampoo bottles at the packaging focus group, thought went into other peoples coping mechanisms and what potential they had.
Anthony “This is an interesting area to look into, what else can you find out?”
This insight, made me question what others did, wondering if I could develop any of these ‘Hacks’ myself, such as the elastic bands?
Could I adapt this idea? Maybe add technology?
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Technology Recent developments with physical aids has changed how the VI live, giving them greater independence. Including technology could be fundamental for this project.
The iPad provides an relatively affordable alternative to expensive products with it’s simple apps.
The iPad. Practically the perfect aid for someone visually impaired!
INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY Identifying available technology and highlighting potential applications.
A focal point. What technology could I include in my work? 55
App SWOT Analysis Through first hand research, the top VI Apps and accessibility settings were tested.
Some Apps struggle to work efficiently with the accessibility settings such as Voice Over.
With the iPad and it’s supporting Apps revolutionising many visually impaired peoples lives, could this be a direction for development?
Anthony “Don’t be afraid to steer away from product design, your demographic may actually benefit from a service more than you realise.”
Some of the available accessibility options; Inverted Colours, Assistive Touch’ and the use of ‘Speak Selection’. 57
Reflection So Far... Further investigation was beneficial and established some important foundations. However I should have been more decisive earlier on. I lost valuable time when I could have been arranging extra focus groups. Supporting a younger audience would also provide the opportunity to utilize technology as the demographic are more adept with today’s devices and services.
Key Insights A younger demographic could provide more of a unique design opportunity.
The VI could benefit one another from sharing their own creative hacks.
Incorporating particular technology could be a crucial factor to the project.
The iPad provides an affordable alternative to expensive products.
Make more of these ‘Life Hacks’ and allow more people to share their own?
Refine my direction.
Synthesize. Ideate. Validate.
Next Steps...
Refining The Brief Aim: Provide support and empower the younger VI. Creating awareness and independence, whether through a product or a service, also aim to include low-tech enablers.
Howard “Keep in mind how you will showcase this. How will everyone relate to your work?�
Time I started making decisions! What do I actually want to do?
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Discussing Opportunities A peer group discussion, breaking down and explaining possible directions. Asking for advice on certain issues and possible next steps.
Reference went to ideas developed in the latter stages of exploration. This was a confidence boost. I had pulled my findings together and had to clinical explain so the group could understand the user group.
How could my concept help a wider audience?
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Ideation Taking on board peer advice and creating possible solutions and directions.
Looking back, my project would have benefited from developing my ‘little ideas’ at an earlier stage.
At this stage Sport was ruled out. It veered away from my original brief and had limited design opportunities.
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Direction 1. Toolkit Insight: There is a poor awareness for available help, especially in the critically early stages of sight loss. Approach: A product based service which increases awareness of available support. Concept: A support pack provided to people who have been told their sight will begin to deteriorate. Aiming to help build skills, improve well being and prepare them for the future. Sketch models of how products could be packaged and sent in a ‘Gift’ format.
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Direction 2. Life Hack Service Insight: People develop their own solutions and help others overcome their own. Approach: Create a platform that allows others to share their hacks. Concept: An online service that offers the opportunity for the VI to discover, share and discuss their daily habits. Learning from others and teaching a wider audience how they have adapted.
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Direction 3. Product Redesign Insight: Inspired by tactile watches, challenge the need for visually data and what else could be provided. Approach: Take an existing product for design re-development. Concept: Based on Inclusive Design principles, developing a device that allows for the VI to receive, what would be visual data, through tactile interaction. Aiming to help them adapt to life without sight.
The Bradley Watch, a high end, designer watch. 71
Validation Discussing with collaborators directions, asking for their opinion and advice on possible next steps. Both support workers and the VI were asked, to gain a wider range of feedback.
‘Life Hacks’ “Absolutely! I have a few hacks of my own that I use and would be more than willing to share with other people and am intrigued to learn of their tips and tricks as well!”
Kimberley Burrows
I felt confident I was making solid progress with my project. Feedback was positive for the ‘Life Hacks’ and their was interest in what this my ‘Toolkit’ could provide.
‘Toolkit’ “Be careful who you aim it towards. Sometimes it is best to leave people to find there own way around problems. People are stubborn at such a difficult time.”
Elaine Moron
‘Life Hacks’ “This service sounds great, I can certainly see members of this charity taking part and wanting to help one another.”
Eamonn Dunne
Re-designing a product wasn’t as popular. The idea wasn’t developed as much and I didn’t have a clear understanding of it’s potential myself. 73
Interim An opportunity to present a range of proposals to a panel of tutors.
Neil “Look at simple technology enablers. Pull together a collection of products and share them into your connected communities.”
Anthony
Oliver
“Challenge how accessibility products breakdown a VI person’s life into a series of problems.”
“There has been a resurgence in tactility. Consider simple cues and prompts for information.”
Refining The Brief Aim: Develop a service based on the VI’s adaptive methods. Accompany this with a range of devices that have been inspired by such methods. Apply technology to these simple products to allow them to connect. Plan: Define the service. Choose/Design the products.
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Reflection So Far... Discussing my concepts with tutors outside my peer group helped decide which direction to take forward. In this case ‘Life Hacks’. The interim also shone a new perspective on the idea and I realised there was still a positive opportunity to include products with the service. I just needed to figure out how?
Key Insights VI people can be stubborn and fragile depending what stage they are at.
Younger people feel that there is not enough support specifically for them.
Utilizing other peoples methods maybe be harder than first thought.
Define the service. Pick/develop potential products
What is a ‘Life Hack’?
Next Steps...
Adaptive Methods What is a ‘Hack’? Discovering and analysing other daily adaptive methods used by the VI and wider community.
“Craig, stop calling them ‘Hacks’. It is too negative. Be positive.” Now I had established a better understanding, I still hadn’t made any progress with my product choices.
What Exactly Is A ‘Life Hack’? Life Hack
noun. A procedure or action that solves a problem, simplifies a task, reduces frustration, etc. in one’s everyday life.
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Analysing Sensory Products Investigating the current market, looking at products that make the most of our senses to communicate information.
Could I take products that rely on visual output and making them more haptic or kinaesthetic?
Inspired by the Bradley watch, I what else could be done. This exercise should of been done earlier in the research phase.
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Material Board Game Investigating association with materials and people’s sensory feedback. Aiming to get a brief insight into the relation between touch and product identification.
Sighted people, the simpler the material, the quicker it was to define, i.e. String, Blue-Tac, Bubble-wrap.
This was a quick task, aiming to understanding how we connect differently with certain materials.
Asking people to talk through their identification process.
Intrigued, I researched designers methods and understanding of our sensory system. 83
Product Choice A simple iterative design step, aiming to discover other possibilities for particular products and challenge how they could be adapted for the service.
At this point I was starting to get frustrated with the lack of development I had made with picking out possible product or device opportunities. Maybe concentrate on the service first?
Developing the function elastic band. Questioning could it be part of the and could technology be
of the how service included?
Anthony “Focus on your service. Remember the idea of the devices is to illustrate how beneficial the service can be.� 85
Platform Opportunity Thought went into what platform would provide the greatest support and usability for the VI on a daily basis?
James Computer Scientist
“It would be better to mock up an App as you don’t have any coding experience. But, it certainly sounds interesting, focusing on the accessibility settings.”
Developing an App would offer more control and influence over the user’s experience. Plus, challenge my skillset!
Website or App?
Not many websites offer a range of accessibility settings. 87
Meeting With Eamonn Further collaboration, discussing potential opportunities and asking for his opinion on how the service would be perceived.
“Apps are simple to grasp and offer more freedom to make a mistake than when on a website.�
Developing an App would also provide more control and influence over a user’s experience of the service.
Henshaws Focus Group
What do you want from the App? “FAQ as part of the App.” “Include clear notifications to remind us.” “Maybe use all parts of the device for control.” “Be wary of privacy settings. The VI are very cautious.”
Focus Group: Paul (VI iPad Instructor) Diana Corianne 89
Mock Forum Aiming to get 10+ VI participants to join a group and discuss ideas. To help understand how they may use the service.
*Work in progress* Interesting to see how the VI will use the opportunity to interact and share their methods.
Easy to setup, but difficult to analyse and promote to the VI. Never mind usability.
Maybe a ‘Facebook Page’ would be easier to access for the VI?
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Service Plan Taking on board insights from previous focus groups, and applying them to understand how the VI community could actually use the App.
David “Layout how you see it working. Think holistically, how are you going to create awareness?”
Neil “This could be an opportunity for people to try out the method first before investing in a product.”
Reflection point. I pulled everything together and got a clear understanding of what I was doing and where I was heading.
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Framework
So I have the basic structure, but how do I develop on the incentive and also create awareness for the service?
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Reflection So Far... A service is the solution. After design development it has identified a unique opportunity, worth exploiting further. There seems little need to develop just a product simply based on inclusive design principles. I positive feeling with the concepts potential and the VI themselves have validated and suggested further design possibilities.
Key Insights Apps are simpler and offer more freedom for the VI to make a mistake.
Touchpoints. Communication and uploading on the App will be vital.
Creating an incentive to use and re-use the App is crucial.
A ‘Life Hack’ is a procedure that solves a problem and reduces frustration.
Form a detailed service blueprint. These will be the foundations. Form a link with products and service.
Get people to relate to the concept.
Next Steps...
Plan Of Action The next steps in the design process and of deliverables.
It is crucial my deliverables are clear and concise. I should learn from Exploration, and stick to the plan this time. There really isn’t much time left! 99
Personal Reflection Personally, meeting the people I have has enthused and motivated this project. I feel that my confidence and understanding of designing for people has developed throughout and I am intrigued to see my final outcome. Hopefully, my decision to go with a service will also reflect my ability to adapt and step out of my comfort zone. Now that I have a clear vision, I am developing and challenging my assumptions much more effectively.
Closing Statement Although some methods may have been standard and the findings may already be apparent, there was a need to discover, validate and testify these findings. This is because there are so many miss conceptions about visual impairment.
But, the final third of the project will be spent in workshops, creating and developing the App and producing low-tech enablers that illustrate the potential of the service.
A possible downfall would be the lack of workshop time. So far, the project has not required much design through making.
App
Low-Tech Enablers
Connected Communities
Increased Awareness