The document discusses the concept of universal design for touch devices, emphasizing the need for inclusivity in product design to accommodate diverse user capabilities. Key principles include equitable use, flexibility, and designing with accessibility in mind, such as incorporating text-to-speech and ensuring appropriate touch target sizes. It also highlights future trends in touch technology and encourages a focus on inclusion rather than simply adapting to various mobile platforms.

1. Universal Design
for Touch
Creating inclusive touch
experiences
Katja Forbes | @inclusiveUX
29th August 2013

2. 4 things in 20 minutes
 What do we mean by „universal design‟?
 People using touch devices are as diverse as
the devices themselves
 There are easy things you can do to make a
touch experience universal & inclusive
 Look at some new things coming up in the
future!
@inclusiveux

3. “
Universal design is the concept of
designing all products and the built
environment to be aesthetic and
usable to the greatest extent possible
by everyone, regardless of their
age, ability, or status in life
”
- Wikipedia
@inclusiveux

4. Q Drum
‘Reinventing the wheel…’
image: http://www.qdrum.co.za/
@inclusiveux

5. Universal Design Principles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Equitable use
Flexibility in use
Simple and intuitive
Perceptible information
Tolerance for error
Low physical effort
Size and space for approach and use
- Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State
University
@inclusiveux

6. “
There is nothing that
you can do on the
iPhone or iPad that I
can‟t do
”
@inclusiveux

7. Mr Stevie Wonder
Image: http://wallpapers.fansshare.com/gallery/photos/11169484/stevie-wonder/
@inclusiveux

8. Respect our elders
 Our Australian population is aging.
 Our respected elders (people aged 65 to 84 years)
are expected to more than double between now
and 2050
 Our really venerated elders (people 85 and over)
is expected to more than quadruple
 Older people are most likely going to have to
manage with a bit of all the disabilities
@inclusiveux

9. “
Mobile, by definition, is
disabling. Poor light,
small keyboards, glare,
touch, etc.
”
– Henny Swan, Senior Accessibility Specialist, BBC
@inclusiveux

10. Ommmmm…..
…from bradfrostweb.com
@inclusiveux

11. Focus on inclusion and people
If we try to design for all these different
operating systems then we just end up
designing for mobile diversity, not for
inclusion.
Design for the human capabilities, not the
device
@inclusiveux

12. “
There is no Mobile Web.
There is only The Web, which we view in
different ways.
There is also no Desktop Web.
Or Tablet Web.
Thank you.
”
– Stephen Hay
@inclusiveux

13. Responsive design is #1
 A well-executed responsive design should
solve a lot of our challenges.
 If a website is already inclusive via the
desktop then it‟s most likely to be touch
friendly as well.
 Responsive design is the very definition of
„flexible in use‟
Flexible
@inclusiveux

14. Think about text to speech
 An app or site is not a book
 People listen to enough to orientate
themselves and then move on.
 There are different modes
 Not just for visually impaired. People with
dyslexia also use text to speech to read
digital written content.
@inclusiveux

15. Design with text to speech in mind
The language used in labeling is really
important.
Don‟t be bossy.
Don‟t double up.
Equitable
Perceptible
Low
Physical
Effort
@inclusiveux

16. There’s more than one way to do things
Inform events in multiple ways.
Don‟t just have one way of achieving a
task
Equitable
Perceptible
Low
Physical
Effort
Simple &
Intuitive
Tolerance
for error
@inclusiveux

17. Mobile video? Make sure its captioned
There is a lot of video available on mobile
and its one of the most consumed types of
content.
People who are deaf or have hearing loss
want to access all this content accessibly,
which is tough on mobile devices.
Equitable
Perceptible
@inclusiveux

18. Supporting dexterity challenges
 Make sure the touch targets are big enough
for people with dexterity challenges.
 Allow tolerance for error.
 Use alternate methods to input information &
exploit device capabilities
Equitable
Flexible
Size
Low
Physical
Effort
Simple &
Intuitive
Tolerance
for error
@inclusiveux

19. Choose smart defaults
The less choices, the less movements
required to make them.
Remember choices the person has made
before.
Equitable
Low
Physical
Effort
Simple &
Intuitive
@inclusiveux

20. Test, test, test
If you have a smart phone, you have a
screen reader. Test your designs. There is
no excuse.
Test with real people who have real
impairments
@inclusiveux

21. Open MI Tours from ACE
Open MI tours replaces the museum or
gallery audio guide with a smartphone
app.
Leverages existing technology
It delivers audio, audio and captions,
Audio Description, Auslan and foreign
languages.
@inclusiveux

22. 1. Open the app
download content
2. Choose your venue
3. Go to scan mode
@inclusiveux

23. 4. Tap play when the
image is recognised
5. You content is played
in the format you’ve
selected
@inclusiveux

24. This design benefits…
The 1 in 6 Australians who have some
level of hearing loss
The 1.2 million Australians who are blind
or have a vision impairment
International tourists and people for whom
English is their second language
Children
Actually…..all visitors!
@inclusiveux

25. The Future…for touch
Haptics
Apple‟s „multiple motor patent‟
Tactus technology „disappearing buttons‟
@inclusiveux

26. Now you feel them…
images: http://www.news.com.au/technology/tablets/ces-2013-touch-screen-creators-invent-disappearing-buttons-for-tablets/story-fn6vigfp-1226553779581
@inclusiveux

27. The Future…might not even be touch
MYO
Leap Motion
images: http://www.geek.tv
@inclusiveux

28. Screen-less?
Google glass
“OK….”
Just the natural progression of interfaces?
@inclusiveux

29. So, to sum up…
 Universal design benefits…EVERYBODY!
 The mobile landscape is extremely diverse
and complex to navigate
 We have to stay focused on inclusion, not
mobile diversity
 The future of our touch devices is awesomely
uncertain. GET EXCITED!
@inclusiveux

30. Thank you
katja@inclusiveux.com.au
@inclusiveux
@inclusiveux