Keywords

1 Introduction

In recent years, the elderly population is increasing in Japan, and the population with disabilities has also a tendency to increase. In addition, due to changes in social conditions, changes in values and diversification of living standards have occurred among elderly and disabled people [1]. The importance of considering diversity is emphasized in also various efforts for improves QOL (quality of life).

In this paper, we focused on the process of designing services for visually impaired people towards users with diverse needs. It was aimed at gaining insight to conduct the proposal process through its proposal of the design process and through case verification.

2 The Positioning of This Research

2.1 Design Approaches Emphasized the Users’ Point of View

In order to consider various needs of the elderly and the visually impaired, the characteristics of the design approach of existing user viewpoint are arranged. We conducted a literature survey on the peripheral concepts of participatory design (Participatory design) and UX (User eXperience) design.

2.2 Mapping on Design Approaches

Based on the survey, we mapped it as shown in the Fig. 1. The vertical axis shows the direction of information and knowledge as the character of the design approach. The horizontal axis shows whether it is co-creative or optimized as the purpose of the design approach [2]. We also mapped prior studies on participatory design processes for elderly or disabled people [3,4,5,6,7,8] (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.
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Mapping on design approaches emphasized the users’ point of view and the positioning of this research.

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Previous design approaches for elderly people or handicapped people are actively being carried out particularly in the improvement type part.

In other word, such design Is mostly on the purpose of improvement of the existing system, or the design for the determined environment to some extent. However, people, goods, and services have come to have various providing forms.

Design for elderly people or handicapped people is now required to design aiming to create value combining user’s needs and seeds, not only improvement of existing system. Therefore, we aimed at co-creative design for service concept development by incorporating the user participation phase into the design process.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a design process model that focuses on the creation of more value than existing prior research, for the design method of services targeting users with diverse needs such as elderly people and disabled people. Furthermore, we verified the proposed method and obtain insight to work on practicing co-creative design through the case at the concept development phase of the process.

3 Process Proposal

We propose the user experience-based co-creative design process as a design process model for service concept development for users with diverse needs such as elderly people or handicapped people (see Fig. 2).

Fig. 2.
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The user experience-based co-creative design process.

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The goal of the proposed design process is that designed solution improves users’ experience. Four phases including participatory sessions is incorporated in the process. The four phases are “collecting the experience and the context by the users’ participation”, “collecting the requirements through users’ participant”, “idea generation by users’ participation” and “evaluate the designs by users’ experience”.

4 Case Verification

4.1 Case Overview

In this verification, we focused on four phases including participatory sessions in the process, and verified based on a case of design projects that the author participated in. The case studied was the development of the service concept of the wearable device for vision-impaired people (see Fig. 3). The wearable device to be designed is a glasses type support device for vision-impaired people, and it was a prototype model developed by OTONGLASS Co., Ltd. It had the function of scanning the character information in front of me and converting it to audio information. In this case of the design project, it was aimed at verifying whether or not the function of reading letters can be used successfully in the use situation in daily life and concept design of a new service utilizing data collected in the future through wearable devices.

Fig. 3.
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Device targeted as a case, and object of design project.

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4.2 Case Implementation Details

Four participatory sessions were conducted with the actually participation of the user, “Behavior observations to function verification”, “Focus group interview for collecting users’ opinion”, “Depth interview for extracting Insight from a medical perspective”, “Workshop for idea generation to provide new services” (see Fig. 4). We gathered insights toward the application of the proposed process from the implementation results.

Fig. 4.
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The user experience-based co-creative design process.

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Behavior Observations to Function Verification

Object

The purpose was to clarify the specification requirement when using the main function of “converting character information in front of eyes to voice” while walking in space.

Participants

The total number of participants was 3, including 2 low-vision people and 1 blind person. The blind person was participating with accompanying guide dog.

Implementation Environment

This session was conducted in the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (in Japan).

Procedure

First of all, three participants were gathered in the meeting room, and an interview was conducted on grasp of the current situation and experiences of utilizing character information in order to grasp individual characteristics. After the Interview, the participants were guided to the start point of the preset route, and the participants wore the smart glass. Participants walked along the route with helpers and designers respectively. Since there was not much character information arranged in the museum, this time we posted the text all over the place. Participants were asked to walk while reading the bulletin using a device. Designers actively asked the participants to grasp the situation and reaction concerning the use of the device. We tried to find out mainly about the intention of the action and how they perceive. Designers actively interviewed the participants in order to grasp the situation and reaction concerning the use. We attempted to get information mainly about the intention of the action or how they perceive. Behavior during walking, conversation was recorded by the video camera. After finishing walking, we looked back on the details of the walking and shared concrete experience or opinions on the functions of the device were done.

Implementation Result

In the phase <Evaluation of Design Plan by User’s Experience of Use>, “behavior observation for specification verification” was implemented by using the prototype. We were able to gather information on how users react when using in the assumed usage environment and what parts of the experience are bottleneck (see Fig. 5). Even with the use of the same device, the perceived experience was different due to the difference in user characteristics, so they indicated a different reaction respectively. From this fact, in <Evaluation of Design Plan by User’s Experience of Use>, Considering the difference in user characteristics, it is necessary to experiencing and evaluating as many users as possible in order to avoid evaluating only some users.

Fig. 5.
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Example of created scene map.

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Depth Interview for Extracting Insight from a Medical Perspective

Object

In order to grasp the characteristics of the each user’s view and the needs obtained from their context, we conducted a depth interview with the vision-impaired user and the ophthalmologist.

Participants

Participants were several people with visual impairment, and each interview was conducted individually. An ophthalmologist at a university hospital participated as an interviewer. Every participant with visual impairment was a low vision and was a patient in charge of an ophthalmologist who participated as an interviewer.

Implementation Environment

Since the interview included questions concerning visual functions and diseases of vision-impaired participants, it was carried out at the examination room of the university hospital for consideration to the patient.

Procedure

First of all, an ophthalmologist interviewed on the basis of the medical record about the visual function of the user and the background of vision disorder. Next, the investigators (1) interviewed about how to view normally, and scenes troubled in daily life, (2) interviewed about what kind of scene they could use wearable devices while experience the device.

Implementation Result

In the phase <Collecting the experience and the context by users’ participation>, “Depth interview for extracting Insight from a medical perspective” was implemented. By Intervention by people who have some knowledge of the characteristics and lives of vision-impaired people, such as ophthalmologists and helpers, it has made it possible to draw more fulfilling information from vision-impaired people.

Focus Group Interview for Collecting Users’ Opinion

Object

The purpose was to obtain hints to lead to design through collecting needs in daily life or finding common experiences and requirements for vision-impaired people.

Participants

The participant group was about 5 to 10 people each time. Most of the participants were those who never experienced the wearable devices before. We conducted focus group interviews with multiple groups using community of visually impaired people in the community and community of patient of ophthalmic unit.

Implementation Environment

Depending on the condition, it was conducted at the ophthalmology in the participant community area or conference space of public facilities etc.

Procedure

We first gave a lecture on the overview and usage of the wearable device, and then asked them to experience the device. The experience was mainly reading text information in the room where the focus group was done, reading books, documents, pastry and other character information around the body. While experiencing the devices, discussed how existing functions could be utilized in their lives, and what they hope to be able to do for each problem in daily life.

Implementation Result

In the phase <Collecting the requirements through users’ participation>, “Focus group interview for collecting users’ opinion” was implemented. Through the participation of many users, we were able to extract the user’s request which the designer alone can not know.

On the other hand, in the focus group interview, there was a great possibility that the amount of information and contents obtained by the facilitator’s command were different.

Workshop for Idea Generation to Provide New Services

Object

To create ideas based on the viewpoints of the parties and to consider ideas from the legal and technological viewpoints.

Participants

Participants were 27 persons including five vision-impaired persons, five helpers, five designers, five engineers, five legal designers and two supporters. Each group consisted of a total of five people, one helper, one designer, one engineer, one legal designer, and one supporter. this session was conducted at once with all 5 groups.

Implementation Environment

Walking was carried out in the Yokohama city. Opening session and idea generation were carried out at Fabrication laboratory in Yokohama.

Procedure

The designer made a preliminary walk on each corresponding route before the workshop in order to confirm the route to walk in each group.

〈opening session〉

Introduction Presentations were given on the development objectives of the wearable device and current issues. After that, participants were divided into groups, and wearable devices were distributed one by one to each group.

〈walking in the city〉

Each group walked a different route determined with wearing the wearable device. Each Route was about one hour route including train movement. Meanwhile, participants were free to communicate.

〈idea generation〉

After walking around the town, each group repeated a two or three sets of “Sharing ideas in groups” → “filling in sheets individually” while looking back on the walk experience in the group. Finally, ideas that got favorable comment among each group was shared and all participants discussed about these ideas.

Implementation Result

<idea generation by users’ participation>, “Workshop for idea generation to provide new services” was implemented and a total of 116 ideas were generated (see Fig. 6). Three kinds of ideas were obtained by roughly classifying them. One is the idea close to improved thought. The second is the idea generated as an acceptable solution based on a relatively common need but not an improved one. In addition, co-creative ideas created by the interaction between the user and other participants were obtained through the walking experiences, respectively.

Fig. 6.
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Created ideas at the workshop.

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5 Result

Through the implementation of the case study, seven points to consider in the implementation of the participatory design process were extracted.

Common Experience and Individual Experience

Understanding whether the needs are based on common experiences or based on individual experiences will be one of the judgmental factors for considering at what level to put it in the design plan.

Participant Group Size

Whether to emphasize the volume of the group size or to emphasize the individual context by reducing the group size needs to be planned according to the aim of each phase.

Total Participation or Singly Participation

There are a limited number of cases where users can participate continuously in the design process over a long period of time.

It is a point to consider when planning whether to recruit participants from time to time and make opportunities with more diverse participants at any time.

Involvement of Persons with Expertise

By Intervention by people who have some knowledge of the characteristics and lives of vision-impaired people, it has made it possible to draw more fulfilling information from vision-impaired people. Experts with engineering knowledge also contribute greatly to the development and evaluation of design.

User Motivation

To show whether or not the target design affects the lives of participants themselves and whether the design can possibly influence in the future is one of the key points for enhancing the will to participate.

Utilization and Devising of Tools According to User’s Situation

Utilization and ingenuity of tools for actively discussions and sharing information should be set according to the user’s situation, and designers need to make efforts to prepare the environment which users can easily talk.

Resource Issues for Implementation

In participatory designs, resources are often restricted in terms of location, time, money and the like. The point is the know-how for executing participatory design in constraints and presenting the possibility of risk reduction and quality improvement as a result by implementation.

6 Discussion

One of the limitations of this research is focusing on the phase of information dissemination and collection, mainly against the proposed process in the case study, and the convergence of information and the verification of the integration phase are not sufficiently verified. The future study is to show applicability in other cases, and to make a design process model that can be utilized at the actual design site.