Universal Design for Inclusivity

Design

• Design for special needs
• Design for all / universal design

Universal Design

• Universal design designs systems for use by anyone under any conditions.
• It is important to remember the uniqueness of each person.

Application of Universal Design

• Multi-modal systems using multiple input channels (different cultures, backgrounds, and languages).
  • Speech
  • Touch
  • Handwriting
  • Gestures are considered.

Designing for Diversity

• Visual impairment: Graphical interfaces reduce accessibility for visually impaired users. Braille is an example.
• Hearing impairment: Has little impact on standard interfaces. Captioning audio content improves accessibility.
• Physical impairment: Users with physical disabilities vary in control and movement over their hands, affecting mouse control.
  • Eye gaze systems track eye movements.
  • Head-controlled keyboards are helpful.
  • Predictive systems, such as reactive keyboards, reduce typing requirements.
• Older people: Email and instant messaging help in cases of limited mobility or speech difficulties.
• Children: Information presented through graphics, sound, text, pen-based interfaces, or touch, is easier for children.

Equitable Use

• The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. The image shows a design where everyone can use the emergency exit.

Low Physical Effort

• Designing for low physical effort means the design can be comfortably used with minimum fatigue. The image shows doors designed for ease of use.

Size and Space

• Appropriate size and space are provided for use, regardless of user's body size or posture. The images suggest examples include suitable container sizes, and elevator designs.

User Interface Design (UX/UI)

• User interface is the space where interactions between a user and machines occur (e.g., computers, home appliances, mobile devices).

UX/UI Design Steps

• Understand: Understand the problem and organizational objectives.
• Research: Conduct user research, learn about users and user problems, use empathy maps and affinity mapping.
• Analyze: Analyze user insights, create personas.
• Sketch: Create paper representations of the solution.
• Prototype: Create UI mockups, of solutions.
• Test: Conduct user tests, iterate and refine.

Step 1: Understand

• UX design solves problems so users can easily achieve their goals.
• The first step is understanding the problem and organizational objectives.
• This understanding guides user research.

Step 2: Research

• User Experience (UX) research is essential in the design process, clarifying user needs.
• It provides a clear picture of users and answers questions like "what users think and why they do what they do.”

Questionnaire Designing for a Survey

• There are 4 different questionnaire types for surveys:
• Cascade format
• Matrix questions
• Closed-ended questions
• Open-ended questions

1- Cascade Format

• A question is only answered if the respondent provided a specific previous answer.
• Avoids questions that don't apply to the respondent.

2- Matrix Questions

• Questions are placed one under another, forming a matrix with response categories along the top and questions down the side.

3- Closed-Ended Questions

• Respondents' answers are limited to a fixed set of responses.
  • Yes/No questions (e.g., "Have you ever visited a dentist?")
  • Multiple-choice questions (e.g., rating scales from Excellent to Poor)
  • Scaled questions (e.g., rating the education quality)

4- Open-Ended Questions

• Respondents reply in their own words, without constraints.
• Example: "What is your opinion on questionnaires?" or "Can you tell me how happy you feel right now?"

Interviews

• Interviews are a set of questions sent to users to understand their preferences and attitudes.

• Surveys are often faster and cheaper to gather data in many cases.

• The ideal interview includes two researchers and one user. The first researcher asks questions and the second takes notes. Video or audio recording can be helpful when additional support is not available.

• Interview structure includes introduction, warm-up questions, main body questions, and closure.

• Functional questions focus on system features.

• Data-related questions focus on data storage and gathering.

Methods to Reach Respondents

• Face-to-face interviews
• Telephonic interviews
• Online questionnaires/internet questions

Face-to-Face Interview

• Merits: High response rates, control over respondent selection, flexible for longer questionnaires.
• Demerits: High cost, time-consuming, interviewer training required.

Telephonic Interview

• Merits: Good response rate, fast, control over respondent selection.
• Demerits: Questions must be concise, restricts respondent selection.

Online Questionnaires

• Advantages: Fast response times, no costs, easily stored in a database.
• Disadvantages: Uncertain sampling size, potential for respondents responding more than once.

Example Questions (Banking App)

• Example questions for evaluating banking app design. Good questions are designed to elicit honest feedback and avoid assumptions.

Outcome of Research Step

• By the end of Step 2, researchers gather user insights, which need analysis to understand key user issues.

This quiz explores the principles of universal design, emphasizing the importance of creating systems accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. It covers applications of universal design in various modalities and the specific considerations for diverse needs such as visual, hearing, and physical impairments.