[Nfb-seniors] Fw: [Nfb-announce] Adjusted Design Proposal

[Margo and Arrow]

This is a follow-up to the senior thesis survey I forwarded yesterday.

Margo downey and Arrow


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kubas, Amy (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)" 
<kubasa at my.uwstout.edu>
To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 9:04 PM
Subject: [Nfb-announce] Adjusted Design Proposal


> This is a follow up from Amy Kubas who is the person who asked that we 
> send out an informal survey, on her behalf, the other day.  FYI:  she is a 
> relative of one of our members here in Minnesota.
>
> David Andrews
>
>
>
> First and foremost, thank you all for taking the time to help me with my 
> Senior Project. I hope you don't mind me contacting you for further 
> inquiries about your suggestions. I was not able to provide more 
> background information in the previous survey and I hope you do not mind 
> if I do so now. As part of our design process we are required to create a 
> target persona of whom we will be designing for. My persona is an 
> 80+-year-old woman whom has recently -gradually yet rapidly- lost her 
> sight due to age. Part of my research presentation to my professors 
> included the statistic that 70% of the 15 million blind and visually 
> impaired persons in the United States are aged 65+ and their visual 
> impairments are most often because of the inevitable aging process. The 
> designs that were selected, I presume, had merit to my professors when 
> dealing with the mobility issues that come with age (essential tremors, 
> arthritis, etc.) and were reviewed in sketch form as opposed to a 3D 
> model. I was worried I might step on some toes with some of the concepts I 
> presented as the recipients of the survey were not privy to my entire 
> research process up to this point (I understand that someone who is blind 
> can more than easily plug in a cord, and am sure I came across as very 
> naive to the majority of readers). I am hoping 3D modeling will help 
> determine which concepts are more appropriate for those with visual and 
> physical limitations and how to create them in such a way as most 
> beneficial to the user. Further along that note, other survey readers had 
> suggested that the products I had listed would benefit more for the user 
> in a commercial setting as many of them have adapted to using those 
> products in their homes in their own ways. (For example, the silverware 
> concept would be more beneficial for use during a business meeting at a 
> chain of restaurants that currently use more mainstream flatware than 
> necessary for a user at his or her home. Moreover, picking up a fork 
> instead of a spoon by mistake isn't the world's biggest problem.)
>
>
>
> That being said, some of my original concepts not chosen by my professors 
> were actually written in as suggestions from other survey readers. I had a 
> few designs based on stovetops that allow the user to distinguish where 
> the actual burner is (as opposed to more common flat-topped ceramic stoves 
> we have today) as well as interfaces that 'stick' at each interval rather 
> than having a smooth transition from high heat to low heat. I also had a 
> design for a tactile microwave interface as well as one for touch-screen 
> ATMs. I explored washing machines and dryers, and even offered a 
> 'schematic' of sorts that would map out a room for the user that would be 
> an extension of the Braille signs they have now outside of offices, 
> bathrooms, auditoriums, etc. Another approach I had was redesigning US 
> paper currency to be more obvious to its denominations than it currently 
> is today. I now know the majority of people I have been able to contact 
> via the NFB mailing list are well past the transitioning stage and have 
> already adjusted to a lifestyle without sight. As the majority of my 
> responses came from individuals who do not fit the 80+ female demographic, 
> I am hoping to re-examine my concepts and target persona in the next stage 
> of development and provide my professors with the suggestions written in 
> by your readers.
>
>
>
> I understand with product design nothing is really original. The majority 
> of products are based off of already existing products and the main 
> element that changes how those appear is technology. I feel as if some of 
> my concepts were disregarded by my professors (the tactile stove for 
> example) because it has existed in some form or another before (not that 
> the salt and pepper shakers haven't already been out there, but a stove 
> has been redone based on technology so many times over whereas a salt 
> shaker has stayed relatively the same in it's basic form and function). I 
> came across a quote from a blind man attending the CES convention who 
> said, "There are (products) we can't use because they've been improved to 
> death" which had inspired a lot of my low-tech concepts. There were 
> numerous suggestions I had received about implementing technology into 
> products and I am hoping to get back to each reader to get further help 
> from them.
>
>
>
> Again, thank you for your sincerity in your response to my survey and for 
> being patient with my very 'sight-minded' view of those with visual 
> impairments.  If you don't mind me writing you with further inquiries, I 
> would love to hear more about your opinions of my concepts that weren't 
> selected by my professors but seem in common demand by those I have been 
> able to be in contact with. I hate to bother you all with another posting 
> of a survey, but it seems as if there are things that need to be addressed 
> that my professors might have overlooked from my original designs. Of the 
> following, which would be most appealing to you as a user:
>
> 1] A cook top surface with more distinct ways of determining temperature 
> gauges and specific heat surfaces (ex. Knobs that 'stick' at every 
> temperature level from high heat to low heat, a thermostat that audibly 
> tells you what temperature your oven is heating to, etc.)
>
> 2] A more tactile or audible way of determining settings on a washer and 
> dryer
>
> 3] Tactile interfaces on touch-screen ATMs to help those with low vision 
> select the right buttons to navigate through transactions
>
> 4] A universal schematic as an extension of already existing Braille signs 
> that inform the user of floor plans for areas such as public restrooms, 
> auditoriums, large office spaces, etc.
>
> 5] US currency (though I know bill-readers already exist I was hoping to 
> design currency that could be determined without the aid of a reader. I 
> received one survey response that suggested maybe even adjusting things 
> ever so slightly so that a new less expensive bill-reader would be able to 
> be used to do the trick. While a new design for reader-free currency might 
> be the ideal option, the reality is that a more cost-effective approach to 
> what already exists might be the best solution. And that suggestion just 
> saved me quite some headache when it comes to tackling a national 
> dilemma!)
>
> Other suggestions that weren't in my original 50 concepts but were written 
> in by other recipients included:
>
> 6] A way of labeling or organizing electronic cords (ex. Printer cords, 
> USB cords, Internet cables, cell phone chargers, etc. that seem to be kept 
> in the same location)
>
> 7) A TV or TV Remote interface that provides more feedback to the viewer. 
> In other words a system that informs someone they are on channel 31 as 
> opposed to 65 or a way of reading scrolling text on news channels, severe 
> weather alerts, the stock market updates, etc. Another recipient suggested 
> a better informative way of interacting with the cable menu systems that 
> come with most cable services.
>
> 8) A more cost-effective and more efficient color detector and/or clothes 
> labeler
>
> 9) A universal labeling system for things such as canned goods, frozen 
> goods, dry goods, etc. One reader mentioned he had magnetic labels for his 
> canned goods, but if his sighted wife went shopping for groceries she 
> might not always fully understand his system of labeling and will either 
> put cans away without labels or mislabel cans with the wrong ones.
>
> 10) An all-inclusive carrying case for things such as a cell phone, iPad, 
> and Braille display.
>
> 11) Audible sports equipment (balls that have sound so the blind and 
> sighted can enjoy a game of soccer, etc. mutually. The reader also 
> suggested an audible sensor that could be pinned to a sighted friend when 
> skiing, biking, running, etc.)
>
> 12] A potting system for plants that will assist the user in keeping and 
> caring for multiple plants in one pot.
>
> 13] a type of recipe holder that can be controlled by voice. One woman 
> told of how it was cumbersome to have to wash her hands every time she 
> wanted to read her braille cookbook to determine the next step in the 
> recipe she was cooking. So potentially something that could be controlled 
> by a simple vocal "Pause", "Back", or "Next" etc. during the cooking 
> process.
>
>
>
> Are any of the concepts mentioned above of any interest to you? If so, 
> which of those stand out to you? Could you please also provide me with any 
> feedback as to whether audible or tactile cues might be more appropriate 
> for one design versus another?
>
>
>
> Furthermore, as I hope to design a product that is also appropriate for 
> someone who is currently adjusting to their vision loss, could those of 
> you who have had experience with partial sight fill me in on any 
> difficulties you ran into when transitioning into life without sight? What 
> were your biggest obstacles? What were your frustrations? What things gave 
> you the most relief in the transitional period? I now know the majority of 
> people I have been able to contact via the NFB mailing list have already 
> adjusted to a lifestyle without sight, but I am hoping you might be able 
> to help me better understand the difficulties of the transition period in 
> particular.
>
>
>
> Again, I apologize for the lengthy email, but want to sincerely thank you 
> for all your help and patience! I look forward to hearing the responses 
> from those of you willing to take the time and am excited to inform my 
> professors of the concepts and improvements you have suggested me to move 
> forward with!
>
>
>
> Warmest thanks,
>
> Amy Kubas
> kubasa at my.uwstout.edu  _______________________________________________
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