Project Objective
The project is a redesigned version of Instagram that is inclusive designed for hearing impaired users. The objective of this project is aimed to empathize with the user and find possible solutions that will improve the user's journey aiding to their needs and the strong attention to their pain points.
Year
2022
Duration
7 weeks
Project Type
Design Strategy
Role
UX/UI Designer / Researcher / Developer
Overview
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About The App
Instagram is a free social media app available on iPhone and Android. It allows people to upload photos or videos and shares them with their followers or their selected friends/groups. Uploaded media posts can be viewed, commented or liked on the feed page (Instagram, 2021).
The Process
The Problem.
Mismatched Interaction: Instagram video provide communication through live feed and audio, and this creates a lack of diversity in accessibility features for those who have a hearing impairment to understand and communicate.
Challenge Statement.
How Might We include accessibility for hearing-impaired users that can adapt to their own surrounding environment during video calls?
2.1 Research Question
What factors causes users to have problems when video calling?
Possible Solutions
During my research, I uncovered ways to overcome the issues
faced by deaf users which includes the following:
Live Transcripts is a useful tool that is used to understand what others are saying.
External microphone device, this will allow better quality and voice recognition for speakers.
Sound equalization tools, to help boost audio frequencies that may help the user’s audio that is adaptable based on their environment.
Headphones enhances call audio compared to laptop speakers that disperse sound outwardly, ensuring better hearing for both listeners and speakers.
2.2 Literature Review | Summarized Abstract
Authors part of Dalhousie University's Computer Science department authored this research paper, aiming to investigate communication barriers faced by the deaf community. The study involves analyzing various communication apps used by deaf individuals to determine optimal design and features. Surveys were conducted to identify useful app features, user needs, and preferences, comparing them with existing features.
Link To Full Study
Key Findings
The research uncovered significant communication barriers
faced by deaf users, including:
Delays in SMS messages
Video streaming quality
Small smartphone screens
Internet costs
Privacy concerns
Safety issues
Additionally, limitations in sign language communication were identified, focusing on finger, lip, and facial movements.
1.1 Research Method Observations : Interest Groups
While starting to observe and understand the context of the discussion, I began to take notes of what users said summarizing their arguments and highlighting takeaways.
Key Findings
Audio Issues
1. Audio quality is more noticeable than video quality.
2. Using bad microphones to talk through laptops or not correctly using them on phones.
Network Issues
3. Too few bandwidths cause video glitches.
4. Sound quality is based on the person's connection or software problem in the computer.
1.2 Interviews
Conducted 2 users interviews
one with poor eyesight
one with hearing disability
This is what I found..
Questions Asked
1. What are some common problems did you face during a video call?
2. What kind of ideas do you think could make video calling better?
3. How useful would live transcripts be during video calls?
Key Findings
Environmental Issues
1. Weak lighting during the night
2. Light glares during the day
Hardware Issues
3. Poor mic qualities make it harder to understand
2.2 Spradley's Matrix
Using James Spradley’s Matrix for organizing research findings in a way that allowed me as to fill the gaps of data needed to understand and find patterns.
View All Research Findings
Main Causes.
Okay interesting, I found that these many of these problems can be seen as an “impairment” or “disability”.
Overall, “internet problems” are linked to hardware/network and environmental factors that creates barriers for hearing impaired users.
3.1 Persona Spectrum
I've broken down 3 types of constraints or impairments that users may be given:
Permanent,
Situational,
and Temporary
This allows me to create exact personas that we want that face the issues founded earlier.
Constraints Mapping
3.2 Persona 1
3.3 Persona 2
3.4 Persona 3
3.5 Context Scenario Preparation
Context scenarios is are used to describe the situations that our impaired users face towards their goals. Creating context scenarios allows us to understand their story.
Preparation Table
3.6 Scenario 1
3.7 Scenario 2
3.8 Scenario 3
4.1 Permanent User’s Design Requirements
Using our created context scenarios, I've outlined the needs that are required for a feature. These in future will prevent 'endless iterations'.
4.2 Defining the needs our product must satisfy
5.1 Permanent User’s Journey Map
Our context scenarios are now taken and translated into a visual map, structuring the story as a narrative. We can now understand this perspective and spot the pain points of our users much easier.
5.2 Scenario 1
6.1 Design System
Moving on to our UI styles, we are using Instagram's design system that will help inform our designs and layouts.
7.1 Screens
Sticking to Instagram's screens, we are only changing the interactions within video calling. Creating Live Transcripts for accessibility of our impaired users.
7.2 Low Fidelity
7.3 Mid Fidelity
7.3 High Fidelity
6.1 Purpose
This usability test aims to understand how users feel about the design, interactions, and functions of this prototype.
View Prototype
6.2 Goals & Objectives
This study aims to improve the design and user experiencesThe objective of this study will try to cover:
How does the design influence the user?
What obstacles do users encounter?
6.3 Methodology
Participants will be asked to use test the prototype on their own. No instructions will be asked during the test. After 3 minutes, the participants will be asked a few qualitative questions to help them understand their experiences and thoughts about the prototype.
Qualitative Questions Asked
1. Are there any problems that you’ve encountered?
2. What are some things that you don’t like about the prototype?
3. What are some things that you liked?
4. What are some things that you’d change?
5. Do you have any suggestions or any other feedback?
Participant 1 Notes
Profiles under ‘messages’ are too close to the side of the screen
Participant 2 Notes
Suggestion: create a chat room and history for live transcripts
Participant 3 Notes
The transcript icon is not recognizable as Live Transcripts.
8.1 Working Function
This is a small demonstration of how Live Transcripts can be used for impaired users.
View Demonstration
What can I do now that I could not do before this project?
I would like to start what I've developed during the first double diamond phase of this project, what I've learned that I could not do before was learning how to triangulate my findings through primary research and organize them into a frame analysis for Spradley's. I found that this is an important method used to understand the properties and find gaps in my research that I have not explored. Project 1, inclusive design was first introduced through learning Microsoft's inclusive design approach to identifying and solving mismatches. This created room for diversity and it made me think about how different users behave with different disabilities. This opened my eyes to understanding how important it is to design a solution that would be utilized by those who need accessibility. Learning inclusive design is a valuable skill and asset to a designer.
Being able to understand your users is important in developing empathy through personas. Persona spectrums contributed to my learnings and this allowed me to not just solve for a few types of users with these constraints, but many more. I am now able to see different perspectives that I have not discovered before. And this includes going into the design requirements, as a coder I now understand how this process is important to develop to prevent 'endless iterations'. Design requirements have broken down these requirements into tasks that I can now organize and curate into a guideline that can be used to communicate to others. I've learned that all of these methods are essential to breaking down divergence which will make it easier in the future.
The end.
View Organized Files