2021, RESEARCH
Designing assistive devices for people with physical disabilities
This research study was done during my minor. It focuses on finding design implications for the design of assistive devices for people with physical disabilities.
In the first part of the research, a literature review has been performed to find existing design implications that could be used for the design of assistive devices for people with physical disabilities. In the second part, experts on designing assistive devices are interviewed on their experience with designing for people with physical disabilities. In the third part, the analyzed and synthesized design implications are evaluated through the Research through Design method, where a design process is performed with the use of the found design implications. This study provides a list of design implications divided into several topics, that could be used for the design of assistive devices for people with physical disabilities.
Literature study
To find design implications that are usable for designing assistive devices for people with physical disabilities, both literature research and interviews have been used as sources. In this literature review, research has been done on existing design implications, either stated as design implications or analyzed from the content of these papers. Research has been done on different topics, such as designing with emotion in mind, or designing for Human-Computer Interaction.
To gain insights into what happens during the design process of assistive devices in practice, I conducted three interviews with people who have experience with designing assistive devices for people with physical disabilities. Two of these experts are developers of prosthetic devices and are working at a University. One of them also works at the Research and Development department of a rehabilitation facility. The third expert is a Master’s graduate who developed a new medicine strip for people with rheumatism.
The questions that I asked the experts during the interview were related to the approach of a design process, the challenges that they encountered, the involvement of the user, and their found design implications. The interviews were semi-structured and were based on several core questions. They lasted between 30 and 45 minutes.
The interviews were then transcribed and thematically analyzed through the use of coding. After the interviews were coded, similarities, differences, and interesting findings were written down and compared with the literature findings.
Design
The design problem that was to be solved with the design process was found together with a participant who took a role in the design process. The participant lost functionality in their dominant hand and arm due to a stroke, and as a result, has lost a lot of independence and confidence in their life. During a series of online conversations, one particular problem was found: opening bottles, such as medicine or beverage bottles, is experienced as very difficult by the participant. They showed how they could still open a bottle, using both their functional hand and teeth, but the process took a long time and could cause frustration. Thus I started the ideation process of finding many different solutions. Two solution directions were found.
The first design solution focuses on providing more grip on the base of the bottle, rather than on the bottle cap, while the second design solution focuses on improving grip on the bottle cap, which makes it possible to open the bottle with one hand. Together with the participant, the best solution was identified. I expected the second solution to be the best because it allowed the user to bring the tool with them and it would not attract a lot of attention. However, the participant could not see themselves using the second solution, because it would only allow them to open a selection of bottles, and they would mostly open their bottles at home so there was no need to bring it with them. The participant preferred a solution that could be used at home, and that could be used for many different types of bottles.
Prototyping
After getting a clear understanding of the needs and wishes of the participant, the first prototypes could be made. Four prototypes were produced that experimented with shape, materials, and design. Six people, including the participant, were then asked to evaluate the prototype. This led to a clear result, in which prototype number four was identified as the most preferred solution. People mentioned that this prototype was more beautiful and was more likely to be displayed at home. It also was seen as less stigmatizing and the easiest to use.
Still, prototypes one to three had some advantages over prototype four, such as the supporting sides which keep the bottles in place. Therefore three new prototypes were made that took the feedback and results of the evaluation of the first round of prototypes into account.
These prototypes were sent to the participant for evaluation. The prototypes were experienced as more aesthetically pleasing and overall a better functionality. The participant was able to open all their bottles with prototypes four and five. They however liked the design of prototype four the most.
The final product will be a more developed version of prototype four. This product was produced for the participant for daily use.
Findings
In this paper, design implications have been provided for the design of non-medical assistive devices for people who are physically impaired. The results in this paper contribute to the design of more accepted and valued assistive devices for people with physical disabilities. The design implications in this paper can have a positive impact on the user experience of assistive devices when implemented in the design process. Use of the implications can therefore lead to less abandonment of assistive devices and can make a design process more guided and structured. It is advisable to take the use of these design implications strongly into consideration when designing assistive devices for people with physical disabilities. It is important to note that the design implications in this paper are not complete, and further research has to be done to find more design implications for the design of assistive devices for people with physical disabilities. However, the design implications in this study are a good asset for both inexperienced and experienced designers who want to design accepted and valued assistive devices for people with physical disabilities.
Personal note on this project
I started this individual research project during my minor because I wanted to get one step closer to becoming an expert in designing for people with special needs. I realised there were not many guidelines or design implications for designing for people with physical disabilities, so I took the opportunity to conduct this research. The list of design implications that resulted from this research is still useful for me during current projects.
Personal note on this project
I started this individual research project during my minor because I wanted to get one step closer to becoming an expert in designing for people with special needs. I realised there were not many guidelines or design implications for designing for people with physical disabilities, so I took the opportunity to conduct this research. The list of design implications that resulted from this research is still useful for me during current projects.