How would you design tools to be used by people who can manipulate only a foot or an eye?
In February 2016, the Prentke Romich Company, which for 50 years has been making tools to help people who cannot speak, wanted us to redesign its UI. The company makes tablets for use by people with autism, cerebral palsy, ALS, and other conditions that prevent speech communication. The devices allow them to connect to the world.
What we are finding: interface conventions developed separately from web and app design, and users whose experiences are so different from our typical clients’ that it was like returning to the beginning of our careers.
We will show input devices we are designing for, discuss research methods, and talk through lessons learned. An invaluable talk for anyone who wants to learn more about designing for physical devices or working with an unfamiliar set of constraints.
