SPACETIME

An audio-tactile weekly planner for people in the early stages of sight loss.

PROCESS

UX Research Methodologies
Design Futures
Market Analysis
Brainstorming
Co-Design Methods
Rapid Prototyping
Usability Testing
Design Communication
Storytelling

OUTCOME

Design for Social Good
Interaction Design
Product Design

DATE

Sept 2019 - Dec 2019

ROLE

Project Manager, UX Researcher, Design Strategist, Product Designer.

PARTNERS

Visions Charity, Co-Design and Usability Testing.

ADVISOR

Jeff Kapec - Technical Support

“When you’re losing your sight, so much else is changing that you need to focus on, you don’t want simple organisation to become an issue too. It impacts everything else.”

— User from Interview Research

OVERVIEW

PROJECT BRIEF

How we manage time affects all aspects of our life - our individual, work, and social lives. Most people nowadays use their phone, computer or diary calendars to keep track of what they’re meant to be and when. But these all use vision. How do you manage time if you can’t see?

OUTCOME

SpaceTime reimagines how we interact with time in a spatial manner, beyond vision. It is an interactive analogue calendar that uses sound and tactility to enable the management of weekly tasks and activities.

Prototypes were designed in collaboration with Visions Charity in NY. The final product is designed for older generations in the transition of losing sight (population set to double by 2050).

RESEARCH

Losing your sight is a scary and life-changing experience to go through. Research with users highlighted that whilst adapting to new ways of life with little or no vision, it important to try to maintain as active and social a life as possible to avoid depression and isolation. In order to do this, you need to be able to manage time without using sight.

The only current market options are smartphone/ desktop audio description (which has unintuitive and inhuman interactions) or large print paper calendars which require a certain level of sight.

Visualisation of a Traditional Ships Bells Clock Sequence

IDEATING ALTERNATIVE TIME TELLING

SpaceTime fills a market gap to provide an human-centred experIence in which to manage and organise time without vision. It draws from historical forms of time-telling; from old sun dials to old sailors watch systems which used sound to communicate time to sailors on their watch.

Formative Testing of Early Stage Designs

THINKING THROUGH MAKING

At every point of user engagement, the design was iterated accordingly; adopting a “thinking through making” approach. This resulted in over 40 prototypes being made throughout the project using a range of materials and processes to create a breadth of understanding.

Researching Theory of Different Ergonomic Grip Forms

PROTOTYPING & TESTING

Prototyping occurred for the development of both the form and the microtextures used to distinguish different sections of the form. These were tested through both formative and summative research approaches.

Over the course of the project, a total of 25 blind or partially sighted users were consulted. This ensured that the design remained desirable and viable for users.

DESIGN OUTCOME

The final design synthesises the diverse research into ancient time telling approaches and creates a product that can be integrated into the home as part of an interior setting. Customisation of design interactions enables better adoption of the product and offers a tailored experience that can adapt to different users needs.

USABILITY TESTING

The usability test was run with members of the Visions Charity network in New York. This tested the final prototype developed through the iterative, formative research carried out prior to this. Designs were incredibly well received with particular praise for the tactile quality of the product. Tests validated the product as useful for newly blind, older individuals and said it would be a brilliant help to them.