Design Museum

Today I went to the Design Museum to have a sense of what products have been made and what are being made for the future and hoped it could spark off some ideas in my head for developement. Currently showing is the Brit Insurance Design Awards which showcases innovative designs from around the world. At first I come across a massive installation, by Dilight (Japan) which reminds me of a classic counting ball instrument which consists of hundreds of bead-shaped LED lights. The installation is to encourage viewers to use their imagination and create any shape or form. The interaction and playfulness with the installation gives viewers a greater understanding of the product and and generates a personal interpretation with the beads.

L-E-D-LED-L-ED by Dilight (Japan)

An interesting discovery at the museum was the "Design and Democracy: Blanke Art" by Blueroom, Innovativoli and KADABRA (Norway). Many voting systems make it difficult for some people to carry out their right vote and Blanke Art created a voting system that was accessible to everyone inlcuing wheelchair users, people with visual impairment and those who cannot read. This system has was tested in the Norweigen governmental elections 2009 and will be spread across the whole country's election board by 2011. This voting system not only allows all individuals to vote easily but also generates an awareness for other people who were not aware the difficulties it may be for some people. If the 2009 elections made a dramatic change in the voting system imagine what it could do for the General Elections 2010?

Design and Democracy: Blanke Art by Blueroom, Innovativoli and KADABRA

Another innovative accessible design is one developed in USA by members of Free Art and Technology, openFrameworks, Graffiti Research Lab, The Embeling Group and Tony Quan. It is called The EyeWriter which allows artists and graffiti writers to draw with their eyes by wearing a pair of software input eye-tracking glasses. Tony Quan, one of the developers, was diagnosed with arnyotrophic lateral scierosis (ALS) which left him almost paralysed except for the movement of his eyes. This product now allows any hopeful artists or software developers to connect and create eye art.

The EyeWriter developed by members of Free Art and Technology, openFrameworks, Graffiti Research Lab, The Embeling Group and Tony Quan

Merton Centre

The MertonVision Centre is quietly located on a quiet road in Colliers Wood where the entrance is already visually impaired friendly with bright handle bars, wheelchair access friendly and a bright red coloured door. When I press the buzzer for assistance I am greeted and then hear a voice speaker telling me how to open the door. Wendy Walsh kindly shows me to the resources room and notifies that their centre does not have hold all the equipment thats available to a person with low vision but they do have some.

I am first shown to the most expensive equipement which is the CCTV where users can magnify an object onto a TV screen to read better. Colours can alternate for their own preference. I am also shown other equipment such as other types of magnifiers, talking devices (i.e. calculators, alarm clocks, watches) and equipment to help write. I am also shown a blind cane and the different types; I was able to dissemble and assemble one which made me do it again with my eyes closed... I wanted to experience well the cane was made for someone to operate the cane themself. An elastic strap is wrapped around the cane and when this is pulled off the whole cane falls out into pieces and then can all 4 sections can be slotted together to form the cane. One great discovery was a braille typewrite... I had never thought of a braille typewrite to exist! If we notice how braille is formed, it consists of 6 dots in a 2 x 3 structure. If the dots were numbered 1-6 reading from top line first, then this correlates to the typewriter in the order of 5 3 1 2 4 6 and that is how a braille typewrite works. The shock of seeing a braille typewriter made me realise how when someone with able vision sees something that is accessible friendly, it makes them think of the difficulties one might have with everyday products.

Blind cane

Enlarged buttons for dialing

Hand held magnifying instrument to help read better

Braille typewriter

CCTV with optional colours to adapt for the individual

At the end of the resources tour asked for the questionnaire to be filled out. The questionnaire was then given feedback to me and she explained each answer. At the end of the questionnaire it asks "Lastly are there any suggestions that could help towards my project" for which I explained that I am planning on making a interface for a "to-be" invented device which could navigate someone in any location. However, she told me that a device like that has already been invented and it cost about £1000 to get it installed onto someones phone. She then said that one of the difficulties for someone with low vision is reading off tinned cans and the ingredients it contains. This then got me thinking about how some people who have developed low vision from diabeties need to make note of what they are eating and how much. Wendy had also said that most old aged visual impaired people are widowed as they tend to outlive their husbands and often live by themselves so will cook a ready made/oven meal for one. If someone struggles to read the ingredients off current packages then this could lead to a everyday constant strain with every meal- not only tinned cans but also medication, detergents, cat food etc...

I am planning to change the project to focus on packaging solutions for the partially blind, as I feel this is more simple than the navigation device solution that was in thought process. The packaging solution can also become a possible realistic product in the future and can create an awareness for some viewers. I hope from the product some viewers will double think how some everyday objects are a constant struggle for others and how something simple can help it become easier.