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Access ibility

Stichting Accessibility

All-round designer & researcher
An auditive and tactile model to improve wayfinding for the visually impaired

Type

Parttime job

Time

Apr-Aug 2018

Company

Stichting Accessibility



Build-Test-Repeat

Following an iterative and user involved process is very important when working the visually impaired and blind target group. As they perceive the world totally different then you, you cannot imagine things yourself and have to test and talk a lot. To sketch an clarification, we initially imagined that a scale and walking guidelines would be essential elements to offer in the model. Although, through tests with an initial prototype, showed that this additional information is unnecessary and even distracting.

Learn by doing

3D printing and lasercutting techniques were very effective in the process as it’s quick, precise, easy to adapt and allowed us to different materials.

Design Research with specific target group

At Accessibility, I learned the perks and perils of being a designer within a non-creative agency. I applied creative thinking processes within a company not used to this, giving me insights in my qualities as a designer and the necessity of communicating and convincing the use of these design thinking approaches.
How to formulate guidelines on creating accessible models to improve wayfinding for visually impaired in a building?

Project info

The visually impaired are able to translate a scaled down model to reality by means of touch, although currently they aren’t used very often or are inaccessible to use for the visually impaired.

The project’s focus was to formulate guidelines on creating accessible models to improve wayfinding for visually impaired people in a building.

We learned that the focus should be especially on the tactile experience. Surfaces should allow your fingers to slide over smoothly and quickly, no sharp edges and element shouldn’t become smaller than the tip of your finger. Robust materials, like wood and plastic, seemed to be more promising than fragile and soft elements.

As a final result, we build a model of a primary school for blind and visually impaired children, in which we translated and proved our discovered guidelines.

Process

The collaboration between Accessibility and Bartiméus allowed us to extensively research and test with the target group to discover their wishes and required information from the beginning of the process. This project also allowed us to explore and test the possibilities and applicability of modern digital production techniques, like 3D printing and lasercutting, for the blind user group, and material’s efficiency and sustainability.

Curious how we worked? just take a look