Universal design for touch

from Katja Forbes, at UX Australia 2013. The touch device landscape is diverse, fast paced and changing every week, providing new challenges to designers with each new incarnation of device or operating system. But there's more to challenge designers… thinking about inclusion of people who may have visual, cognitive, hearing, motor or speech impairments…or some of all of them due to age. So what do we mean when we say "designing for all" in the world of touch devices, what makes it so darn hard to do and how can we create user experiences that are inclusive for this hugely diverse group of people?

Transcript

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

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2. @inclusiveux  
    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!
   4 things in 20 minutes
   

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3. @inclusiveux  
   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
   “
   ”
    
   

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4. @inclusiveux  
   Q Drum
   image:  h1p://www.qdrum.co.za/  
   ‘Reinven=ng  the  wheel…’  
   

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

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6. @inclusiveux  
   There is nothing that
   you can do on the
   iPhone or iPad that I
   can’t do
   “
   ”
    
   

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7. @inclusiveux  
   Mr Stevie Wonder
   Image:  h1p://wallpapers.fansshare.com/gallery/photos/11169484/stevie-­‐wonder/  
   

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8. @inclusiveux  
    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
   Respect our elders
   

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

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

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11. @inclusiveux  
     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
    Focus on inclusion and people
    

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12. @inclusiveux  
    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
    “
    ”
     
    

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13. @inclusiveux  
     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’
    Responsive design is #1
    Flexible  
    

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14. @inclusiveux  
     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.
    Think about text to speech
    

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15. @inclusiveux  
     The language used in labeling is really
    important.
     Don’t be bossy.
     Don’t double up.
    Design with text to speech in mind
    Percep=ble  
    Low  
    Physical  
    Effort  
    Equitable  
    

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

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17. @inclusiveux  
     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.
    Mobile video? Make sure its captioned
    Percep=ble  
    Equitable  
    

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18. @inclusiveux  
     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
    Supporting dexterity challenges
    Flexible  
    Low  
    Physical  
    Effort  
    Equitable  
    Simple  &  
    Intui=ve  
    Tolerance  
    for  error  
    Size  
    

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

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20. @inclusiveux  
     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
    Test, test, test
    

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21. @inclusiveux  
    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.
    

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

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

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24. @inclusiveux  
    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!
    

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

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26. @inclusiveux  
    images:  h1p://www.news.com.au/technology/tablets/ces-­‐2013-­‐touch-­‐screen-­‐creators-­‐invent-­‐disappearing-­‐bu1ons-­‐for-­‐tablets/story-­‐fn6vigfp-­‐1226553779581  
    Now you feel them…
    

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27. @inclusiveux  
    The Future…might not even be touch
    MYO  
    Leap  Mo=on  
    images:  h1p://www.geek.tv  
    

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

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29. @inclusiveux  
     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!
    So, to sum up…
    

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

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