The aim of SET for BRITAIN is to encourage, support and promote Britain's early-stage and early-career research scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians who are an essential part of continuing progress in and development of UK research and development.
A usability and user-centred design specialist, Chris's research has investigated innovative ways to improve the design and manufacture of global products, systems, and services for ageing populations and those with physical or cognitive impairment.
Chris's latest research (outlined below) is part of an ongoing volume of work that he will present to MPs, which identifies the issues that everyday users of wheelchairs experience, and demonstrates how simple design solutions can improve the usability, comfort, and appeal of assistive devices in general.
Dr Christopher Wilkinson is a European Commission Consultant on HCI, Usability, and User Experience and Inclusive Design specialist: www.inclusign.co.uk
Listen while the User Speaks:
Harnessing User Insights to Improve Wheelchair Interaction and Design
Dr Christopher R Wilkinson
2016 Set for Britain Awards, House of Commons, March 7th.
London, United Kingdom
Despite legislation and a growing movement in terms of equality and equity, the physically impaired are still placed at a disadvantage in today’s fast-paced and fast-moving society (Jackie Ashley, Annual International Day for Persons with Disabilities Lecture, 2015). Further, by talking directly to users, a reluctance to use assistive technologies that emphasise a user’s impairment was commonly reported with users feeling ‘stigmatised by design’.
Listening to users allows us to learn what works and doesn’t work for them, and helps us understand the features that are useful and the features that impede interaction. Further, it allows us to investigate how design can influence feelings of personal independence, social and physical mobility.
(Image removed)In previous work, we identified how users favoured stigma-reducing wheelchair and assistive technologies that are aesthetically pleasing over the purely functional (Wilkinson & De Angeli, 2014, Wilkinson, Walters, and Evans, 2016). An obvious and ongoing challenge is to develop assistive technologies and wheelchairs that are equally usable and acceptable to users with a diverse set of needs and capabilities. A User-Centred Design activity was devised to collect feedback from users on current solutions to inform the design and development of non-stigmatising, user-friendly, and usable assistive devices for increased engagement and adoption (Figure 1: Positive Cycle of User Centred, Participatory Design- right).
Participants discussed their experiences and the enhancements they made to improve interaction with their chair and the environment through talking and through sketches. This captured how users make chairs more aesthetically pleasing and practical (Fig 2 - below).
Key Problems: lack of back support, storage, and weather protection, unappealing device design, unaccommodating urban design.
Identifying the problems helps us identify the solutions: the goal of this ongoing research is to produce user-inspired aftermarket wheelchair additions for universal application that improve the usability, comfort, or aesthetic appeal of assistive technology and enhance wheelchair interaction for all.
(Image removed)
Figure 2: Photographs and a participant's sketch highlight enhancements made and the aspects that negatively impact the usability and experience of typical wheelchair interaction.
Wilkinson, C. & De Angeli, A. (2014). Applying User Centred and Participatory Design Approaches to Commercial Product Development. Wilkinson, C., Walters, A. & Evans, J. (2016). Creating and Testing a Model Driven Framework for Accessible User-Centric Design.
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