Narrowing down the focus

Oct. 3, 2020 (9.27.2020–10.2.2020)

After pinning down our project brief, we began to conduct more research to understand our problem scope better. We began by conducting more secondary research on the web based on several questions in order to make sure that we cover everything that we need to know for the project.

Secondary research

Questions to research for:

• Considering what everyone does daily (eating, shopping, public transportation, etc), where do these systems fail the visually impaired entirely?
• What shapes people’s understandings of visual disabilities?
• What do people with visual disabilities want others to know?
• How do we motivate people to learn more about visual disabilities?
• What can we do to prevent or stop exclusion and marginalization of blind people?
• What are successful projects or campaigns that have happened before regarding visual disabilities?
• How can people learn to recognize, empathize with, and understand those with visual disabilities?
• What current methods are currently used?
• What methods are used in UPMC clinics?

Resources that we looked at:

• UPMC Diversity Legacy Zine https://campaigns.upmc.com/UPMC/legacy/?_ga=2.208513490.1542771942.1601405644-843538002.1599919164
• UPMC & City of Pittsburgh’s “Minutes Matter” Campaign https://minutesmatter.upmc.com/
• The Social Dilemma (Netflix Documentary)
• Alzheimers Awareness: https://www.adcouncil.org/campaign/alzheimers-awareness
• Autism Awareness: https://www.adcouncil.org/campaign/autism-awareness
• Digital native: The new generation are widely known as ‘digital natives’ — a term coined by visionary Marc Prensky. Prensky claims that anybody born after the year 1980 has grown up so immersed in digital technology that it comes completely naturally to them. Prensky defines anybody born before 1980 as a ‘digital immigrant’. (https://www.themarketingeye.com/blog/are-you-digital-native-or-digital-immigrant/#:~:text=The%20new%20generation%20are%20widely,as%20a%20'digital%20immigrant' )
• Corporates like uber’s inclusivity : https://www.uber.com/us/en/about/accessibility/
• Millennials as Digital Natives: Myths and Realities: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/millennials-digital-natives/
• Microsoft Seeing AI https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/seeing-ai
• Blind new world (from Perkins School for the Blind) http://blindnewworld.org/
• Blogs, videos, podcasts for sight loss https://welleyenever.com/blogs-sight/
• Noisy Vision https://www.noisyvision.org/
• Life of a Blind Girl blog: Honest chat about disability and body image https://lifeofablindgirl.com/2020/09/06/an-honest-chat-about-disability-and-body-image/
• Describing your visual impairment to others (lots of quote from people with visual impairments) https://lifeofablindgirl.com/2020/02/16/describing-your-visual-impairment-to-others/
• A day of Holly’s life http://eyezonemag.com/blog/2019/07/08/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-blind-girl/
• 4 things those who are blind or visually impaired want sighted people to know https://ibvi.org/blog/four-things-those-who-are-blind-or-visually-impaired-want-sighted-people-to-know/
• Examples of design works with effective use of language https://www.motherdesign.com/work/body-studio/ https://www.motherdesign.com/work/eyebeam/ https://www.motherdesign.com/work/todd-oldham-alexander-girard/

Guiding questions

Based on the insights gathered from our secondary research, we pinned down guiding questions for our project, which we will use as a reference throughout the process to make sure that we are answering the core problems that we are solving for.

1. Where do everyday social systems (eating, shopping, public transportation, family gatherings…etc) fail people with visual disabilities?
2. What are people’s biases and misconceptions about people with visual disabilities? And how can we help people to recognize them?
3. What shapes people’s understanding of visual disabilities?
4. What do people with visual disabilities want others to know?
5. How do we motivate people to learn about visual disabilities?

Stakeholder map

Based on our secondary research, we mapped our stakeholders to better understand the relationships of all the stakeholders in the system that we are designing for.

User Journey Mapping

We analyzed the general patient experience for clinical appointments in order to pinpoint the ideal opportunities for our design solution. To do this we tried to better understand the thoughts and feelings of our users throughout their visit.

From analyzing the structure of a single clinical visit, we found:

1. Users are wayfinding for most of the visit (from finding the receptionist, to finding the waiting room, and finally finding their way back out)
2. Users feel rushed for most of the visit, as they need to have their information and payment ready, as well as needing to get paperwork done
3. Users only have downtime when they are placed in the waiting room, a time when their mind wanders, and feel a range of emotions (from bored to anxious).
4. We concluded that the time users spend in the waiting room would be the best opportunity for our design solution

Visual Direction

To make our campaign more approachable, for people of all ages, we want to make sure the visual language we use is inclusive, accessible, and friendly. We want this to be a bright campaign that catches peoples attention and makes them want to learn more.

Accessibility guidelines for colors/text in design:

• Bright, high contrast colors to improve readability for low vision
• Color blindness: avoid certain color combinations that are hard to distinguish
• [digital] Do not put images behind text as it’s difficult for screen readers to pick up
• Clear, sans-serif fonts

Friendly, fun, welcoming

• We want to approach the subject without a judgmental attitude, but rather a learning experience made fun and welcoming

Campaign language ideas

We want the copywriting of our campaign to reflect both the visuals and our message. To do that we want to focus on creating a space where we’re having a conversation with the users.

Copywriting Guidelines:

• Simplify the call to actions focus on the core ideas
• Short, clear, and simple
• Make it relevant and actionable
• Make it about the user

We want to have a conversation, so let’s make the language conversational:

• Use contractions (can’t, won’t, let’s) Don’t use (cannot, will not, let us)
• Read the words out loud
• Avoid explanations and emojis (conversational, not texting)
• Tell users why they should care
• Nudge (ex. Achieve ___. Do ___. ) Don’t do (ex. Do ___ because ___.)

Next steps:

• Compile list of people we would like to reach out to for interviews
• Create participatory design methods
• Define campaign language and parts
• Define typography and visual system