START

Project Type

Master Thesis

Place

Paris Lodron University Salzburg

Supervisor

Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Ph.D.
Christopher Frauenberger

Participatory Design of a Planner for Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities.

This master thesis explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of a time-planning tool for people with cognitive disabilities within the START project, which aims to enhance self-determination through technological support. The work focuses on translating initial field research into the designs of the time-planning tool.

Overview

This work was conducted within the START research project (Self-Determination through technological support of Autonomy, Resilience, and Organizational Transformation), involving eight partners — aiming to explore technological solutions to enhance the self-determination of people with disabilities in their living environments.

Nowadays, people with cognitive disabilities face continuous restrictions, limiting their ability to act with self-determination within their social and structural environment. The influence of cognitive disabilities extends to different areas of daily life, affecting self-care, communication, home life, and self-determination. In response, this research focuses on the use of technology, specifically through the development and implementation of a planner, to address the unique challenges posed by cognitive disabilities. The goal is to develop tools that enable people with cognitive disabilities to effectively manage these important aspects of their lives, with an emphasis on organization, home life, and self-determination. Conventional planners often fail to meet the diverse needs posed by cognitive disabilities. Given this gap, there is an urgent need to explore innovative solutions that harness the potential of technology to facilitate inclusion. It is crucial to develop a comprehensive understanding of how a planner tailored to the specific abilities and needs of people with cognitive disabilities can be developed and deployed.

Partner

Loidl-Consulting & IT Services GmbH, CREAGY AG, Bertha v. Suttner Privatuniversität St. Pölten, Österreichisches Institut für Berufsbildungsforschung, BALANCE, Lebenshilfe Tirol, Lebenshilfe Netzwerk

Funding

The START project (892396, FO999892396) is supported by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) as part of the ICT of the Future / Instrument: Resilience and Distancing (ICT 2020).

My Role

PD-Workshops, UI Design, Prototyping, Formulation of Design Recommendations

Tools

Figma,
Miro

Key Insights

Lack of support to live and act in a self-determined way

01

Lack of technological developments to support organization of everyday life

02

Central is the problem of creating added value of technological tools for people with cognitive disabilities

03

Process

The thesis builds on a previous study in which it was found to focus on meals, meal planning and food choices. Following three loops were carried out, starting with a workshop, which was then analyzed and adjustments made to the concept and prototype.

Participatory Design Workshops

Three consecutive workshops were held to continuously gather insights from the various participants and to work on the functionality, design and experience of the planner.

Questions

Each workshop was structured around guiding questions. These questions revolved around understanding user habits and preferences, user experience and interaction, interface and features.

Methods

To answer the guiding questions following methods were used in the workshops:

Concept Prototype, Task Analysis, Paper Prototyping, Mental Model, Card Sorting and Solution Enactment.

Design Iterations

After each workshop, the results were analyzed and a design iteration was made based on them. The results and design iterations are presented below.

Wireframes

Initial wireframes were created based on wall calendars in the organizations' premises and private rooms. An attempt was made to translate these familiar wall calendars into digital calendars to ensure easy access.

Concept Prototype

A concept prototype was developed from the first wireframes, which was used in the first participatory design workshop.

Results 1

After the first workshop it was found out, that there is a need ...
... for a static interaction concept
... for a multi-sensory approach
... to support reading comprehension
... for personalization

Design Iteration 1

Based on the results some design iterations were made, including the modification of the prototype’s platform for the integration of a voice output, adjustment of the app structure, enhancements to the time display, and a updated color scheme.

Results 2

The second workshop revealed that the participants have an analogous understanding of time, that the food ordering process should be clear and illustrative and support communication.

Design Iteration 2

Adjustments to the concept prototype were minimal following the second workshop, focusing on integrating an alternative, number-based clock and adding an active editing option for food events. Three different concepts were created for changing food events.

Results 3

The analysis of the third workshop showed that different levels of detail are needed for the events per day, that it is necessary to add a reference point for a day within a week, and that feedback is required.

Design Iteration 3

After completing three workshops, a radical design iteration was conducted, retaining the color scheme while introducing a primary highlight color (blue) and simplifying the interface with white, black, and shades of grey. Enhancements include a customizable dashboard, a detailed weekly overview, differentiated event states, a ubiquitous voice output feature, and a revised event editing process.

Abstraction

Minimizing abstraction by leveraging real-world connections, visual cues, contextual references, and analog time displays.

Structure

Hierarchical structures with contrasting layers and adaptable information, simplifying complex processes and enhancing understanding.

Interaction

Simple, static interactions with zoom and communication tools, supported by training prompts and clear feedback to support understanding and learning.

Accessibility

Incorporate multimodal features like AAC symbols, natural language voice output, and potential sign language to cater to diverse needs.

Personalization

Personalization for individual users and organizations, including social and gamification principles for a time-perception-friendly UI.

Design Recommendations

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