A presentation from Open Inclusion that details some of the differences and drivers of cognitive diversity as well as some design principles specific to just two groups: older people with memory loss and people who are dyslexic.

1. Designing services that support
cognitive diversity
21 November 2018
Christine Hemphill
Tom Pokinko
Open Inclusion

2. Designing better experiences
Open Inclusion is an accessibility, research
and innovation consultancy.
We provide:
• Usability testing and insight
• Market research
• Inclusion-led innovation
• Universal design solutions
• Workplace inclusion
open.inclusion
open.insights
open.access
open.minds
open.ability
open.value

3. Who are we?
Tom Pokinko
Research Director, Open Inclusion
Inclusive designer
Inclusive researcher
Christine Hemphill
Managing Director, Open Inclusion
Inclusive business design & management
Inclusive innovation

4. What are you thinking?

5. How and what you think is influenced by…
Genetics Environment
- past and present
Mental and
physical health
Education and
learned skills
Mood

6. Which means we are all wired slightly or significantly differently

7. Desigual campaign Sept 18
We are all different. Some differences are visible,
most are hidden, many are variable
“DIFFERENCE IS WHAT WE
ALL HAVE IN COMMON”

8. Humans are not static sets of capabilities, needs and preferences.
We all fluctuate in and around our personal “normal”
Feeling more resilient
Feeling more vulnerable
Over Time

9. • Memory
• Learning
• Understanding
• Attention and focus
• Social interactions
• Reading or numeracy skills
• Content filtering
• Mental health
• Confidence
• Language and speech
Neuro diversity represents
many differing needs
S
q
e
ll
11
25+
…
!

10. Many needs overlap for individuals
Image source:
Mary Colley,
DANDA UK

11. Neuro diversity provides some powerful challenges
Image source:
British Dyslexia Association

12. …as well as some powerful advantages
Image source:
British Dyslexia Association

13. • Include physiological, esteem & safety needs
• Allow for individual context
• Be real, value based, not condescending
• Put user goals ahead of designer goals
• Keep users motivated
• Allow that your users will vary in their:
– approaches
– willingness to try new things
– expectations that they are to blame for bad UI
– self-esteem and digital confidence
Some design principles for older users with cognitive decline
?

14. • Design to reduce error rather than maximise speed
• Design to engage cognition, mindful of degree
• Design for consistency - over time and elements
• Design for clarity over simplicity
• Build trust and credibility
• Include human help as a default
Design considerations for older users with cognitive decline
?

15. • Provide alternative ways to access information
• Prioritise key information. Minimise reading
• Minimise number of fonts and styles
• Put user goals ahead of designer goals
• Keep users motivated
• Allow for greater variance in
– vocabulary
– spelling accuracy
– ability and desire to read chunks of text
– ability to comprehend text
(especially jargon or complex terms)
– concentration span
Some design principles for dyslexic users
Myrmidon
???

16. • Design to reduce error (auto-complete, error recovery tools etc.)
• Visually prioritise content and provide clear headers
• Limit column width and don’t justify text
• Provide media alternatives to text
• Allow users to customise text preferences easily
(fonts, colours, spacing)
• Let users hide content (ie, view page with just headers)
• Navigation consistency and alternatives
• Include human help as a default
• Limit italics and underlining
Design considerations for dyslexic users
Myrmidon
???

17. So how do I design for such variable and varying needs?
DesignTest
Understand

18. Build awareness and test the experience
• Build awareness of cognitive needs
• Inclusive research: test early and often
• Some options for user research:
– Ethnography
– Surveys
– Contextual enquiry
– Diary studies
– Usability testing
– Mystery / accompanied shopping

19. Include neuro-diverse people
in your design process to
create better services.
Samantha Fletcher
Dyslexic/Dyspraxic
Community Lead within Open’s Research Panel

20. The Open Research Panel (+350) – our unfair advantage
Physical
Mobility
Manual dexterity
Balance
Speech impediment
Sensory
Blind
Partially sighted
Colour blind
Deaf/deaf
Hard of hearing
Usher
Neurodiversity
Mental health
Dyslexia/dyspraxia
Learning difficulties
Cognitive impairment
Speech impairment
Autism
Other
Just older
No smell/taste
Under 4’ 11”
Over 6’ 3”
Dysphasia
Multiple
Sclerosis
Cerebral
Palsy
Chronic pain
Demographics Ages: 18 - 85 White Asian Black Mixed

21. Maximise the value of inclusive insight
The power of real people
• Access to diverse customers
with broad inclusive needs
Inclusive insight
• Pragmatic, actionable
feedback and support
High impact for effort
• Right research method/s and
blend for specific needs
Curb cut effect
• Valuable mainstream
benefits of inclusive insights

22. When we design for disability first,
we often stumble upon solutions that are not only inclusive,
but also are often better than when we design for the norm.
Let people with disabilities help you look sideways,
and in the process, solve some of the greatest problems.
Elise Roy
US Attorney and inclusive design advocate
“

23. Thanksforyourtime!
christine@openinclusion.com
07478 335028
better experiences for all
www.openinclusion.com
@openforaccess