Looking Forward - Accessible Navigation

Overview

This UX research project was aimed at solving the problem of how visitors with low vision or blindness can find the main entrance to Helen Keller Services. The primary objective was to create a design solution that makes visitors confident that they’ve reached the correct door. In this report, we will discuss the ideation process, pros and cons of each idea, a SWOT analysis, and prototypes.

Ideation

Our team brainstormed several ideas to address the problem statement. Some of the ideas we came up with include:

  • Alexa greetings

  • Floor path

  • Tactile maps

  • An app

  • Tactile door handle

  • Increase intercom button size (once inside)

  • Sensors to detect people coming in (notifications?)

  • Tactile pads on the ground

  • QR code on the door

  • Navigation guide

Pros and Cons

We evaluated each idea's pros and cons to determine which solution would best address the problem statement.

Door Handle

Pros:

  • Easy to implement

  • Not very expensive

  • Differentiates from other door handles nearby

Cons:

  • Might be more difficult for first-time visitors

  • Hard to make the whole thing tactile? Which parts should be?

Tactile Maps

Pros:

  • Easy to make

  • Already being used for Ability Lab

Cons:

  • Where to put it?

  • Would have to make updates every time something changes

  • Potentially hard to design

Tactile Ground

Pros:

  • Could use heavy mats by door (to avoid having to get permission from the city to make permanent changes to the sidewalk)

Cons:

  • Legal research needed

  • Could be a hazard

  • Harder to implement

Information Guide

Pros:

  • Allows for preparation ahead of time

  • Various ways to present info (audio guide, text-only)

  • Cheap to make recent info (audio guide, text-only)

Cons:

  • Might be hard for people to find

SWOT Analysis

We performed a SWOT analysis to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of our proposed solutions.

Strengths:

  • Navigation guide - low cost and easy to maintain

Weaknesses:

  • Limited time and materials

Opportunities:

  • Ability to change the door handle

Threats:

  • Other businesses in the building having an issue with the proposed design solution

Prototypes

Our team created two prototypes - a tactile door handle and a navigation guide.

Tactile Door Handle - Our first prototype was a digital, 3D modeled prototype in Fusion 360, which helped us think through the shape of the handle, if our additions should be indented or protruded, by how much our additions should indent or protrude, and how to create a lo-fi prototype. Our second prototype was a physical lo-fi prototype consisting of a wooden cylinder 15 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter. We used small wood letters to apply to the cylinder as well as small circular rubber feet.

Navigation Guide - Our navigation guide was created as a supplement to the work of all 3 Helen Keller Services groups. It is intended to be provided to someone who plans to enter Helen Keller Services within the next day. We used the Ability Project’s navigation guide as a starting point for our own. We created two versions, one in Google Slides and one as a text-only Google Documents version.

Usability Test Report

We conducted a usability test to evaluate the effectiveness and user-friendliness of two outcomes of this project: the tactile door handle and the navigation guide. The goal of the project was to improve the accessibility of the Helen Keller Services for visitors with low vision or blindness. The test was conducted with five participants who had low vision or blindness.

Research Method: We used a mixed-method approach that included both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. We conducted semi-structured interviews with each participant and used observation and task completion to gather qualitative data. We also used the System Usability Scale (SUS) to gather quantitative data on the usability of the two outcomes.

Results: The results of the usability test were positive for both the tactile door handle and the navigation guide.

Tactile Door Handle: All five participants were able to identify the tactile door handle as a unique feature of the entrance. They found the protruding letters and rubber feet helpful in identifying the door and reported feeling more confident about entering the building. However, one participant noted that the handle was a bit difficult to use for the first time but felt easier with practice. The SUS score for the tactile door handle was 82.5, which indicates a high level of usability.

Navigation Guide: The participants found the navigation guide easy to use and helpful in finding their way around the building. They appreciated the clear and concise instructions and felt more confident in their ability to navigate the building. One participant suggested adding more details about the layout of the building. The SUS score for the navigation guide was 87.5, which indicates a high level of usability.

Conclusion: The results of the usability test suggest that both the tactile door handle and the navigation guide are effective solutions for improving the accessibility of the Helen Keller Services for visitors with low vision or blindness. The participants found both outcomes easy to use and helpful in navigating the building. Based on the results, we recommend implementing both outcomes in the Helen Keller Services to improve the experience of visitors with low vision or blindness.

Here is a link to our Design Presentation