Written by Jennifer
Designers often use research tools such as user observation and persona development to get into the heads of those we’re designing for. After all, approaching a problem from the point of view of the user a key component of user-centered design. But we also have the benefit of our day-to-day experience to draw from; and sometimes, if we pay attention, our own experiences can lead us to see things differently, and hopefully have an impact on the way wee see design.
Last week I had an opportunity to visit Cisco’s accessibility labs for a tour of their observation and testing facilities. Their labs are pretty interesting. I got to see the observation rooms, humidity chambers, earthquake simulators, etc., through which each new product must pass before it’s released. I learned more from the other participants on the tour, however, than anything I might have seen along the way.
Most of the other visitors on the tour were from one of several non-profit agencies that deal specifically with issues of accessibility, and half of them themselves were visually impaired. The first woman I met showed me how she used her iPhone - memorizing the feel of the gestures paired with auditory feedback allowed her to access most of its features, and as she put it, “be one of the cool kids.” The gentleman who greeted us and led the start of the tour was also blind, yet he skillfully led us through the office maze and into the accessibility lab itself, where he demonstrated one of Cisco’s tools for accessibility compliance.
I’ve never spent extensive time with anyone who is visually impaired before, so this was the first time I’ve really paid attention to the importance of the other senses for someone who can’t see.
The woman with the iPhone asked me to be her guide, so I walked with her through the tour, trying remember to point out doorways and steps before they surprised her. I started narrating the physical environments we walked through, offering verbal descriptions of the work stations and lab setups we passed. Reinterpreting my experience into words on the fly didn’t come easily. Acting as the interface to this woman’s experience meant that I was simultaneously, and moreover, consciously observing, filtering, and making meaning out of what I saw.
I also learned a lot from just watching her. When she wanted to “look” at something up close, she’d first use her walking stick to judge the size of it, and then run her fingers over it to get a sense of the materials. Watching her measure with her hands instead of her eyes, and derive meaning from touch and from sound, made me think about the products we design, and the meaning we imbue in them with our design decisions.
Experiencing the room from her perspective sharpened my other senses as well. I noticed the changes in noise levels as we’d walk between two rooms, the drop in temperature, the differences in the feel of the flooring. It gave me a new perspective on designing richer experiences, and how multiple inputs combine to create meaning.
The experience underscored many of the questions we deal with as we design products at Kicker. How does the physicality of a product say something about what it does? What does its size tell you? What does the shape convey? How does it feel to the touch? What does it sound like? Does it smell? What would someone who can’t see it take away from their experience of it? Keeping this in mind will lead to better products for anyone, no matter which senses they rely on.