Context Mapping
Introduction
This document serves as an introduction to the project designing for specific users. The document has been divided into a theoretical and a practical part. In the theoretical part, research on the disease is explained and how to proceed in the project in the coming weeks. With the use of assistive technologies and human centered design, co-designing with the participant has been made possible. In the practical part, research on the person itself, context and activity has been conducted and further elaborated with the use of visuals. The theoretical part and the practical part together form a basis for phase 2 of the project.
Theoretical part
Societal Trends and the Changing Perspectives on Disability
Throughout history the outlook on people with disabilities has clearly changed from a shameful and dismissive perspective to a more empathetic and inclusive one. Advancements in medical treatments have permitted people with disabilities to be cared for by their relatives and need not to spend their lives in medical centers. This has paved the way for a more personal and close relationship between disabled individuals and society which in turn has caused a deeper level of understanding regarding their abilities and needs, as well as changes in the vocabulary used to acknowledge them. As a consequence, the design of not only buildings and streets but also of learning and working materials is gradually incorporating universal designs to enable people with disabilities to have access to them.
Due to the unpredictable nature of Multiple Sclerosis the situation is somewhat more complicated, however, new treatment and diagnosis technologies have permitted patients to take responsibility of their lives to a higher degree. This eases some helping tasks specially for family members who are in a constant state of caring.
Introduction to Assistive Technologies
The definition of assistive technologies is ‘any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities.’ (A.T.I.A, reference 1) These items can vary from physical products such as wheelchairs and braces, to high-tech software programs that help people with disabilities in their normal daily routine. So assistive technologies are the general concept that a non-human thing can support a human-being. While looking at the assistive technologies that the participant with multiple sclerosis uses, it is noticeable that these are all mass-produced products. They are not produced specifically for people with multiple sclerosis, but rather for people with a disability. This means that the equipment is not co-designed with the participant, resulting in failure. The glove on the picture fits perfectly around a hand because it is flexible, but it is hard for the participant to put it on, because she has lost most of her movement and feeling in her hand. This type of failure is called technological abandonment. To make sure that this does not happen in the future, more technical appropriation is needed. This means that a piece of equipment is designed within the context of the participant. (Bar, F., Weber, M. S., & Pisani, F. (2016), reference 2).
Human Centered Design
Human centered design is a design process where every step of the process involves the human perspective. This means that the designed products address the core needs of the target user(s). Human centered design is about overthrowing yourself into the life of those you are designing for. It is about trying to understand deeply what the needs are of the future user(s) and finding solutions to fulfill these needs.
In this case (MS) a lot of products are already on the market, so it is important to find out what works and what does not work. Also, all people suffering MS can have different symptoms of various levels. Therefore, it is necessary to find out personally what is a problem that can be solved. This can be found out by preferably physical meetings with the participant at her/his home or any other place where he/she feels safe. This way it is easiest to really get to know the participant best. Also, the already existing tools can be shown easily when meeting at home.
Co-design / Participatory Design
Co-design is a design process where the entire process will be held together with the participant you are designing for. This means that the actual user or target group is involved within the design process. It is important to discuss ideas and concepts with the participant(s). Their feedback can be used to improve the design. Also cooperating can keep you on track and not lose focus on what problem needs to be solved.
Previous co-design projects with people suffering MS mostly use interviews and questionnaires as co-design methods. These questionnaires can be held before, during or after the design process. Also, self-report questionnaires are mentioned as options to gather feedback.
Discussion and Conclusions
MS has various symptoms which are different in individuals, thus designing the equipment customized exactly for the participant’s difficulties to provide advanced satisfaction in the participant’s daily life is required. Based on the detailed research of MS and assistive technologies, the design for the participant should improve better technical appropriation to prevent the failure of using in real life. For better design, human-centered design and co-design should be considered important, therefore the preparation of interviews with participant should be implemented since the interviews are essential for acknowledging the precise symptoms of MS and for receiving feedback of design, which will lead to appropriate direction of design.
Practical Part
