VERDIKT conference 2010

1. UNIMOD
Universal Design in Multimodal User Interfaces
Challenges and solutions for
people with cognitive disabilities – experiences
from the UNIMOD-project
VERDIKT Conference 2010
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

2. UNIMOD
Project facts
 The main objective of the UNIMOD-project was to contribute
to the knowledge of multimodal, personalised user interfaces,
and thus to improve the accessibility and use of electronic
services.
 Focus on users with cognitive challenges.
 UNIMOD was partially financed by the VERDIKT-programme in
the Research Council of Norway. The total project cost was
estimated to 12.300.000 NOK.
 UNIMOD run from 2007 to 2009.
 User studies and development of prototypes were central
project activities.
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

3. UNIMOD
Participants
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

4. UNIMOD
Cognitive challenges
 Orientation
 Memory
 Problem solving
 Learning
 Reading/writing
 Concentration
 Attention © clipart.com
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

5. ”Disability pyramid”
Increasing Increasing motor
sensory ability ability
Cognitive
Orientation
Memory
Problem solving Moderate 30% of the
Learning disability population
Reading/writing
Concentration
Attention
Increasing cognitive ability
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

6. Personas as users
Model:
 Photo
Realisation:
 Name and profile
 Users with cognitive challenges
 Job  Four main profiles
 Education  Beginner (Nybegynner)
 Social status  Person with dyslexia
 Personality (Dyslektiker)
 Interests  The messy one (Rotekopp)
 Cognitive characteristic  Nothing special (Intet spesielt)
 Situations  Many things (Alt mulig)
 4 person(a)s using mobile phone for
 Work description accessing services
 Needs, frustrations, attitudes, values  4 person(a)s using PC for accessing
(connected to IKT) services
 Citations (connected to IKT)  Realistic task assignments
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

7. Personas-example 1
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

8. Personas-example 2 (Case 3)
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

9. 3 cases
1. Alternatives for Login
2. Multimodal help for interactive forms
3. Delivery lists on mobile phone
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

10. Case 3
 Åstvedt Logistics AS
 Specialists in distribution of mats and work-wear.
 Occupational rehabilitation.
 Employees with various kinds of cognitive challenges.
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

11. Delivery situation
 Work is performed in teams of two (driver / co-driver).
 Delivery point may be outside or inside of buildings.
 A delivery list is handed out at the start of the day.
 Challenges:
 Customer may have moved mats to another spot
 Multiple mat delivery with no specified mat position
 Delivery based on personal note-taking and memorizing
 No good way to share notes
 Hard to describe complex environments textually (at least using few
words)
 Ordering of list based on other factors than geography
Accessible User Interfaces in a Mobile
Karde AS Logistics System
Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

12. Delivery situation
Accessible User Interfaces in a Mobile
Karde AS Logistics System
Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

13. The delivery list
 Multipage printout containing all information needed for
delivery:
 Address of delivery
 Actual delivery point
 General remarks on position (i.e. ”second floor, below exit-
sign”, or ”talk to Frank”)
 Product type
 Quantity
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

14. The mobile prototype
 Developed for ”off-the-shelf” devices.
 Nokia N95 used as a development device.
 Iterative development process.
 Minimal information model.
 Paper-prototyped, user-tested.
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

15. The paper prototype
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

16. Prototype workflow
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

17. User feedback
 More intuitive interface navigation.
 Increase visual clarity in map symbols.
 Support for multi modal comments to the delivery spot.
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman

18. UNIMOD
Final comments
People with cognitive declines are many, and they are
different.
User interfaces are not suitable for this user group.
More research is certainly needed.
Guidelines published: Utformingsveileder – Kognitiv
tilgjengelighet av nettsider og nettsteder
www.iktforalle.no
Karde AS Innovation, consulting and management Riitta Hellman