Arash Nouri

Fall 2022

Table of contents

Area of Opportunity

What is your opportunity for design intervention stated as a “how might we” statement?

<aside> <img src="/icons/thought-dialogue_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/thought-dialogue_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> “How might we enable visually impaired people to navigate a world that’s not built for them?”

</aside>

My focus is to find ways to improve the quality of life of visually-impaired people by working with them to find ways to address the shortcomings of the aids that they frequently use. These shortcomings can be the result of assumptions made by able-bodied designers.

Co-creation with visually-impaired partners can alleviate these shortcomings by involving them in every step of the design process, ensuring that their needs are met and their concerns addressed.

For this sprint and the following ones, I will mainly be working alongside one participant, R.M., who has graciously accepted my invitation to be involved in the co-creation process.

What are the benefits sought from this design exploration?

Improving quality of life for visually-impaired people by allowing them to interact with their environment and complete tasks more independently.

Gap between designers’ abilities & users’ experiences that forms an opportunity for co-creation

There exists a gap between what designers are capable of doing and the knowledge that users have. Rarely does one individual encompass both these personas and is capable of designing a solution for themselves. Designers and user have to team up to complement one another’s strengths & weaknesses.

Solution formulated during co-creation processes like this are bound to create more meaningful change for users who are searching for unspecific solutions to specific problems. It provides them with a different experience than that of constantly trying out solution made by people who don’t fundamentally understand their personal grievances and needs and insert their own assumptions in the design process.

Why is this opportunity worth pursuing?

The grievances described by the participant are more approachable than the lofty goals I set in the previous sprint. There’s a very clear problem that can be solved using the design processes that I’ve learned to use, and that whole process can be greatly enhanced by involving the user in every stage of the design process.

Potentially solutions stemming from this solution can provide visually-impaired people with the same level of opportunities as able-bodied individuals, thus enabling them to participate more equally in all levels of society.