A digital camera for the visually impaired.
PROJECT LOOKBOOK
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Context
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Inspiration
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Research
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Ideation
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Model Making
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Prototyping
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Final Design
Development
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CONTEXT
161-MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED. ONLY 4% OF THESE HAVE NO USEFUL VISION.
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Of the 96% who do have useful vision, many wrongly assume that they are unable to communicate visually or that they have no desire to do so. Of the very few who have managed to access photography, they have found the experience provided them with a very positive therapeutic experience, but required great input from others.
Note is designed to challenge the misconceptions associated with visual impairments and allow everyone to capture their perspective of the world with creativity and control, regardless of their sight or knowledge of photography.
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INSPIRATION The inspiration for the project came from studying the works of visually impaired fine-art photographers, such as Craig Royal and Pete Eckert, and their journey with photography. They both experienced periods of great challenge and elation.
↑ Craig Royal uses photography to communicate the surreal effects he sees due to his visual impairment (copyright: Craig Royal).
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These photographers found the entry into photography extremely challenging. Current cameras are highly complex and a challenge to master, even with perfect vision. They spoke of the struggles associated with their visual impairments: a lack of independence, strained relationships, and a sense of frustration as others failed to understand their perspective.
With the support of others, Craig and Pete found their way into photography, giving them a way to capture and communicate their perspective of the world with control. Photograpy ultimately helped them to come to terms with their vision, empowering them and allowing them to challenge preconcieved notions associated with being visually impaired.
↑ Pete Eckert shooting for Volkswagen (copyright: Pete Eckert).
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RESEARCH To effectively understand the problems experienced by the visually impaired, user testing was conducted with current cameras and participants with varying levels of vision and photographic knowledge. This process revealed key insights and built empathy between the design process and user.
↑ Visually impaired participant struggles with reading settings on a conventional DSLR.
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OVERLOADED CONTROLS MARKED BY VERY SMALL SYMBOLS. MANY SETTINGS RELY ON TOUCH SCREEN INTERACTIONS. SMALL SINGLE SCREEN MAKES COMPOSITION HARD TO JUDGE. PARTICIPANTS OFTEN RESORT TO TRIAL AND ERROR.
Current cameras often have many tactile controls, however the only way to read the settings is using the small display or viewfinder, which was almost invisible to the users. The variable function of the main rotary control compounded this problem, as user's rarely knew which setting they were changing. Users often resorted to trial and error, taking multiple photos with different settings and hoping the result matched their intention. They reviewed their photos on a large monitor at home, only to be disappointed and the opportunity missed. This cycle would repeat and discourage them from photography. Designing a tactile, beginner friendly camera that allowed the UI to be customised, and provided a better 'on-location' photo review experience became the focus of the project.
The aim was to allow the visually impaired to creatively engage with photography, without relying on trial-and-error or 'auto' settings.
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IDEATION
→ Cardboard mock-ups and taped up goggles were used to quickly test ideas without relying on perfect vision.
↓ After the concept became clearer, a 3D printed body and lens were produced with card interaction points attached for testing.
The ideation phase used an iterative loop of fast, rough sketches and mock-ups, testing, and sketch renderings to quickly develop or discount concepts.
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FAST AND ROUGH
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DEVELOPMENT ← The first sketch render of the 'Note' camera concept, inspired by a leather-bound journal. This evokes feelings of familiarity, recording of memory, and creativity.
Renders and card mock-ups with the 3D printed model were used to further develop the design, allowing aesthetic refinement without dimishing usability.
→ An inital render of the top profile, showing the soft elastic strap. This gave the concept some direction but the controls needed thorough development to create a usable device.
→ A development render showing early development of the control design and engraved details on the lens.
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� Overall form, CMF and controls finalised with some details with only small details to change. During development a font was designed especially for the engraved details.
↓ Render of final design showing development of controls and detailing. The elastic strap was refined and split into two bands, echoing the dual screens.
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MODEL MAKING
↑ Engraved details were enamel painted by hand.
The model was created using CNC milled aluminium, laser etched leather, and 3D printed parts. Much of the detailing was done by hand, such as the enamel painting of the engraved details, and the leather finishing. Careful attention was also paid to the part-lines and tactile moving elements, creating a realistic representation of the final product.
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PROTOTYPING
↑ Note camera prototype running Axure UI mock-up from laptop.
To test on-screen interactions, a prototype was constructed from 3D printed parts and working displays, with details added for realistic control feel. The two displays were connected to a laptop running an Axure mock-up. As the user adjusted the camera's controls, the investigator adjusted sliders on the Axure built control panel, which altered the image on the displays. This gave the impression the user's inputs were altering and capturing images in real time.
� Internal 3D printed mechanism to give realistic tactile feedback as controls are adjusted.
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FINAL DESIGN The appearance of Note was inspired by the leather-bound journal; a comforting, familiar object associated with memory and creativity. The camera’s body consists of two aluminium casing halves, seamlessly bound in leather and secured with textured chord. The faces are smooth, interrupted only by the key interaction points. The leather’s edges are exposed at the top and bottom, reaffirming the natural, journal-inspired theme and distancing the product from contemporary electronics.
→ The electronic viewfinder works in a similar way to Google Cardboard, with a lens folding over the screen to create an immersive display that can be customised to suit the user's vision.
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→ The controls are placed and shaped to allow all settings to be felt by touch, allowing the camera to be operated by muscle memory alone if desired.
↓ Dual screens allowing the effect of settings on photos to be directly observed, reducing the need for trial and error. The displays' output can be customised to suit various visual impairments.
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rob.id@outlook.com 07912 548164 linkedin.com/in/rob-c