Enhancing AT Solutions Through
Industrial Design Techniques
Scott Haynes, MBME
N
Natasha Powell, BSME, MID (candidate)
S
Srikanth Jalasutram, BSME, MID (candidate)
Georgia Institute of Technology
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Acknowledgements
• National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDDR)
– Workplace Accommodations RERC
• Colleagues at Georgia Tech
– College of Architecture
– School of Industrial Design
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Workshop Agenda
• Introduction
• Workstation studio project
• Industrial Design process
• Common Industrial Design techniques
• Brief “in-class” exercise
• Discussion
– ID vs. “Typical” AT development methods
– Adding ID professionals to the team
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Assistive Technology comes in all shapes and sizes…
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…is used to accomplish a variety of tasks…
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…some can be appealing…
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…others, not so much…
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…some is functional…
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…some try for both and hit neither!!
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…usually done with the best of intentions…
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…MASS PRODUCTION!!!
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…ending with a big check…
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

…and riches beyond your wildest dreams!!!
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Often difficult to move beyond the one-of-a-kind solution…
…to one with more general appeal.
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

UD Workstation Studio
• Engage undergraduate students in ID studio to generate preliminary
concepts
• Select products for further development in graduate design studios and
thesis projects
• Work with project partners to commercialize new universal designs
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Workspace Observations
Nursing Radio Stations Airport check-in
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Workspace Analysis
• Analyzing work flows 4 traits were used to organize occupations
• Openness of workflow to customer input
• Distribution of Tasks in the workspace
• Number of Tasks
• Ownership of workspace
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Universal Design Studio - Simulation Exercises
Bartender Workspace ticket office workspace secretary workspace
•Observation and role playing techniques were shared with the Junior Studios for
a Universal workspace design exercise.
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Some project results…
• Supermarket
• Primary Stakeholders: Employees with little reach
• Final design: Retractable Shelving
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Some project results…
• Dental Hygienist
• Primary Stakeholders:
• Dental Hygienists with back pain, RSI
• Final designs:
• Forward Support Chair
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

“Typical” AT Approach
Referral Follow-up
Data Gathering:
Analyze Data Implement
•Person
& Accommodation
•Environment
Determine Solution Solution
•Activity
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

The Product Development Process
Defining Opportunities Visualizing and Analyzing Concepts Engineering Distribution
• Balancing broad and narrow focus
• Focus on user(s) experience
• Weighing the emotional equally with functional
• Make tangible solutions based on users’ behavior and
beliefs

ID Techniques
Data
Gathering
Data Analysis Synthesis

Data Gathering
Capturing information about user context and Behavior

Data Gathering
•Used to study a set of users or user behaviors ,in participation with them.
•In Product Development, ethnographic tools can be used to study user
behaviors, contexts of product use, and cultural settings prior to designing.

Data Gathering
Journals/Diaries Drawing/Collage Photo/video
The user is asked to record Asking users to elicit opinions Researcher captures relevant data
actions, feelings, own drawing or choosing artifacts/ in the primarily capture more
observations at a regular time or images provided by the information than words alone
during a particular situation provide (audio as well)

Data Gathering
Comparison of tools
Time
less more
Money
less more
Data Depth
less more

Data Gathering
Journals/Diaries
• To pick up on users context ,experience and things that are
important to the User
• Requires more effort from user (user error more possible)
• Best to combine with simple technologies such as Cameras,
Phones etc
• In Design: Lextant allowing teens to document via pictures and
vocal notes their shopping

Data Gathering
Drawings/Collages
• To elicit priorities hard for user to articulate
• Used to understand user’s perception of attributes
• Collages can be made from images, drawings, words and
artifacts
• Use a combination of multiple things to convey user insight.
• In Design: Lextant used collages to determine what rugged
physically meant to consumers

Data Gathering
Data Gathering
Photo/Video Capture
• To capture implicit user behavior
• Video analysis can be time-
consuming
• Combining quotes from users with
images is best
• In Design: Steelcase set up cameras
in part of a health care facility to
determine workflow/space issues for
variety of users

Data Analysis
Assembling information into main ideas

Data Analysis
Manipulation Aggregation Deconstruction Abstraction

Data Analysis
Manipulation

Data Analysis
Manipulation
•Sorting and rearranging (but not changing existing data)
•All most all types of research results are approached this way first
•Example: To determine technology importance patterns based on age photos
collected of each persons bag contents are divided into age groups

Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Aggregation
•Looking at multiple sources of information to ensure a BROADER understanding of
data context
•Often used to gathering various perspectives to define the USER EXPERIENCE
•Example: Looking through data from students schedule, study habits, teacher and
parent interviews to learn more about student focus issues

Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Deconstruction
morningorning
m noon afternoon
•Breaking down data into components that are easier to analyze
•Often used with large clumps of data
•Example: Separating parts of video of user in work environment
according to time of day to better determine what aspects of
his/her environment are the most stressful

Data Analysis
Abstraction
•Using to simplify complex data to find patterns to form a hypothesis
•Hypothesis requires further testing to be validated
•Requires planning in the gathering stage of exactly what question to ask

Synthesis
Translating Ideas into Physical Forms

Synthesis
Exercise: Observation of Dental Hygienists:
• Hygienists frequently in forward or side leaning position
• Hygienists move back and forth to grab tools from desk then get to
patient
• Hygienists use a large quantity of tools that have a single function

Synthesis
Design Goals
•Allow tools to be multipurpose and reduce need for forceful gripping
and wrist bending
•Arrange the work environment to allow hygienist to efficiently grab
tools
•Support multiple postures in hygienist’s chair

Prototyping
• explorative sketches and prototyping
• Initial sketched forms were allowed to be low in
details (low fidelity)
• “quick and dirty” approach building prototypes
• Refinement done in successive iterations

Value of physical Prototyping

Value of physical Prototyping

Summary
Data Gathering
Diaries/ Journals Drawings / Collages Photo / Videotaping
Data Analysis
Manipulation Aggregation Deconstruction Abstraction
Synthesis
Sketching Prototyping

Video

Exercise
• You are given the task of re-designing
the interior of this airplane.
• Take notes on users overall experience.
• Pick top three areas for improvement.

Q and A / Discussion
• ID vs. “Typical” Rehab methods
• How does this process differ from yours?
• What do you see that you could implement?
• Adding ID professionals to the team
• Who would / have you contact(ed)?
• Where would you go to find one?
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA

Thank You!!
• Enhancing AT Solutions Through
• Industrial Design
Georgia Tech – CATEA
• Techniques
www.workrerc.org
www.catea.org
June 27, 2009 RESNA Annual Conference 2009, New Orleans, LA