Chris Hoogewerff: A user-centered approach to solving micronavigation for the blind

How would you design an app to help a blind commuter find their bus stop in a world where their GPS is not precise enough and waypoints can be up to 100 feet off? We didn't know either, so we leveraged extensive usability testing throughout the design process to ensure we wouldn't risk making the mistake of building the wrong product.

This talk will cover our approach for designing a hypothesis, usertesting that hypothesis and iterating until each of our visually impaired testers were able to find the precise location of a bus stop. You'll walk out of this session feeling prepared to tackle your next design and development challenge with usertesting at the forefront of your process.

Transcript

1. A USER-CENTERED APPROACH to solving micronavigation for the blind A USER-CENTERED APPROACH to solving micronavigation for the blind
2. THE CHALLENGE micronavigation for the blind
3. GPS Accuracy: 30 ft THE CHALLENGE
4. Data Accuracy: 100 ft *sometimes THE CHALLENGE
5. without visual cues
6. VISION
7. VISION
8. If we crowdsource visual cues HYPOTHESIS
9. HYPOTHESIS If we crowdsource visual cues then deliver them via VoiceOver,
10. HYPOTHESIS our visually impaired users will be able to find their bus stop. then deliver them via VoiceOver, If we crowdsource visual cues + =
11. WHAT IS VOICEOVER? “John Apple image” “4 replies, 2 favorites “ 8:04 AM, San Francisco, CA “photo, landscape, September 1st at 10 PM, very blurry, very dark image” “check out this fog!” “Jane Mango image” “Great shot!” “omg, stay safe!” “Joe Grape image” “favorite button” “back button”
12. HYPOTHESIS our visually impaired users will be able to find their bus stop. then deliver them via VoiceOver, If we crowdsource visual cues + =
13. A B / FIRST TEST
14. Test (scrubbable map) (list of clues) A Test B
17. SECOND TEST
18. (Progress!) RESULTS
19. “Street Light” “Bench” “Bus Stop” “Trash Can” “Tree”
20. “Street Light” “Bench” “Bus Stop” “Trash Can” “Tree” THIRD TEST
21. “Street Light” “Bench” “Bus Stop” “Trash Can” “Tree” Before the stop, there is a Closer to the stop, there is a The sign is on a round post. Beyond the sign, there is a Further past the stop, there is a Approaching the stop with the street on your left… THIRD TEST
22. “Street Light” “Bench” “Bus Stop” “Trash Can” “Tree” Before the stop, there is a Closer to the stop, there is a The sign is on a round post. Beyond the sign, there is a Further past the stop, there is a Approaching the stop with the street on your left… natural language THIRD TEST
23. (Awesome!) RESULTS
24. ONLY THEN DID WE really start building
25. LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
26. DESIGN FOR PEOPLE (not the screen and not for technology) LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
27. DESIGN FOR PEOPLE LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
28. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE (but assume you’re wrong) LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
29. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
30. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE TEST EARLY (and often) LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
31. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE TEST EARLY LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
32. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE TEST EARLY DO YOUR HOMEWORK LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
33. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE TEST EARLY DO YOUR HOMEWORK LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
34. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE TEST EARLY DO YOUR HOMEWORK GO OUTSIDE LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
35. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE TEST EARLY DO YOUR HOMEWORK GO OUTSIDE LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
36. MAKE ASSUMPTIONS DESIGN FOR PEOPLE TEST EARLY DO YOUR HOMEWORK GO OUTSIDE LISTEN TO FEEDBACK LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
37. THANK YOU Chris Hoogewerff @chris_hoog