Accessibility in online co-creation — exploring the current state of play

Frederik Weissenborn, Programme Lead, Design Council

The design world is going through a moment of rapid transformation. Recently, we have seen the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning models — like ChatGPT MidJourney and Dall-E — across the design and service sectors. It is still too early to ascertain the long-term impact of these tools, but some experts compare their arrival with the transformations set in motion by the Industrial Revolution.

The move towards mass computer-assisted working has, however, been playing out for some time, at least dating back to the 1990s. This trend was then accelerated by the sudden shift to online working necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is now common for meetings and workshops to be delivered virtually, with the assistance of videotelephony software like Zoom or Teams, and digital collaboration platforms like Miro and Mural.

Remote co-creation involves some advantages. It for instance reduces the need to commute to a specific location, which can be costly and time intensive. But are online workshops inclusive to practitioners with diverse backgrounds, and are the tools they rely on accessible? Design Council Lead, Frederik Weissenborn, sat down with two Design Council Experts — Vaughan Thompson and Linda Chandler — to find out.

The experience of a spatial practitioner

Vaughan Thompson is a chartered town planner and urban design practitioner who provides expert input across a range of Design Council services. He is also partially sighted and has reduced hearing. For the most part, this is something Vaughan manages without trouble, but there can be barriers — whether the workshop is delivered in-person or online.

‘About 70% on my work is online’, Vaughan says. ‘I use Teams, Zoom, sometimes Miro, as well as PowerPoint. There are clear advantages to online working. Going to meetings in unfamiliar places with people I don’t know or recognise can sometimes be a tense thing for me. Are you in the right place, how do you find the correct room? All of that is taken away by working remotely, because I’m in my own environment and everything I need to see and communicate is on the screen in front of me.

In-person meetings have the advantage that I can come with bits of paper and spread them out. Things that are presented are also on sheets of paper which is easier for me to follow compared to a projection or screen. As such, paper is quite an inclusive technology. The same applies when we’re convening workshops with communities. Not everyone is IT savvy, but most people can hold a pen and mark things on paper.’

The layered nature of online co-creation — with multiple apps in ruse at the same time — can also be distracting for Vaughan, something which can lead to moments of hesitation, even anxiety.

‘When you’re in an online workshop, there’s so much going on. The thumbnail you’ve got the screen of meeting participants… I can’t see any of that when they’re small. I also find the buttons quite difficult to work with as they’re either hidden away at the bottom of the screen or in drop down menus. I have to lean closer to see what’s going on; sometimes that’s all it takes to distract you and make you feel anxious’.

The digital placemaker’s perspective

Linda is a technologist who also works with places. She started working as a software developer in the early 90s, before becoming Chief Information Officer for the London Development Agency in the run up to the London Olympics. She has since taken up a role at Microsoft working with smart places across the UK, working with clients from local and regional government.

Linda has been a first-hand witness to the rapid uptake of digital forms of working across the public and private sectors.

‘We’re increasingly seeing tech being deployed across all sectors, including the built environment even if the uptake has been slower here. Over the years, I’ve worked with accessibility and design in various guises, including Soundscape which is an app that allows you to experience 3D spatial audio to support wayfinding.

I completely understand Vaughan’s anxiety around travelling to places. Soundscape is a solution originally designed to give people confidence in navigating complex urban environments. But the fixes can’t just be about improving technology. To me, the opportunity to deliver more accessible environments including workshops involves both behavioural and technological components’.

Behavioural fixes & technological solutions

This is a sentiment Vaughan agrees with. In terms of behavioural changes, he recommends that documentation and tools are circulated to all participants in advance of a workshop. This will allow them to familiarise themselves with the working environments and key information prior to the meeting, thereby taking away some of the uncertainty related to online co-creation.

‘Early distribution of presentation materials is hugely useful’ he says. ‘One of the great advantages of online work is that you haven’t got to spend an hour or two hours sat on a train or a bus which means you can spend that time preparing.’ Vaughan also recommends that the chat function is used sparingly, or not at all, as keeping up with a constant stream of chat messages can be challenging for visually impaired designers.

In terms of the technology, Linda observes that accessibility has improved a lot in her time and that more improvements are expected. ‘Creating a great technology experience requires a cross-disciplinary approach. We have made significant progress on that in the 30 years that I’ve been in technology and it makes me optimistic for the future.

The rise of accessibility has been tremendous. There are some things that tech companies will compete on and there are other areas where we realise that we need to collaborate for the benefit of all, and accessibility is one of those.’

Top tips for designers and facilitators

Together with Vaughan and Linda, Design Council have come up with the following tips for designers and facilitators of online co-creation workshops:

• Circulate relevant materials to participants before the workshop. This will allow participants with visual or cognitive impairments to review the materials in their own time.
• Encourage participants to have their cameras on during online workshops. This tends to improve the user experience for all, but it is important to respect if some people need to keep their cameras off on the day.
• Use live captioning to capture but consider not using the chat. This will support those with hearing loss with following the conversation. However, consider whether the chat is needed as it can lead to cognitive overload.
• Ensure participants have adequate time for comfort breaks. Taking time off screen is helpful for all participants; breaks should be frequent and not shorter than 10 minutes.