Universal Design for Touch Creating inclusive touch experiences Katja Forbes | @inclusiveUX 29 th August 2013
May 25, 2015
Universal Design for Touch
Creating inclusive touch experiences
Katja Forbes | @inclusiveUX29th August 2013
@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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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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Q Drum
image: http://www.qdrum.co.za/
‘Reinventing the wheel…’
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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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There is nothing that you can do on the iPhone or iPad that I can’t do
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Mr Stevie Wonder
Image: http://wallpapers.fansshare.com/gallery/photos/11169484/stevie-wonder/
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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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Mobile, by definition, is disabling. Poor light, small keyboards, glare, touch, etc.
– Henny Swan, Senior Accessibility Specialist, BBC
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Ommmmm…..
…from bradfrostweb.com
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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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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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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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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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The language used in labeling is really important.
Don’t be bossy.
Don’t double up.
Design with text to speech in mind
PerceptibleLow
Physical Effort
Equitable
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Inform events in multiple ways.
Don’t just have one way of achieving a task
There’s more than one way to do things
PerceptibleLow
Physical Effort
Equitable Simple & Intuitive
Tolerance for error
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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
PerceptibleEquitable
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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
FlexibleLow
Physical Effort
Equitable Simple & Intuitive
Tolerance for errorSize
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The less choices, the less movements required to make them.
Remember choices the person has made before.
Choose smart defaults
Low Physical
EffortEquitable
Simple & Intuitive
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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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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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1. Open the app download content
2. Choose your venue
3. Go to scan mode
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4. Tap play when the image is recognised
5. You content is played in the format you’ve selected
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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
ChildrenActually…..all visitors!
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Haptics
Apple’s ‘multiple motor patent’
Tactus technology ‘disappearing buttons’
The Future…for touch
@inclusiveuximages: http://www.news.com.au/technology/tablets/ces-2013-touch-screen-creators-invent-disappearing-buttons-for-tablets/story-fn6vigfp-1226553779581
Now you feel them…
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The Future…might not even be touch
MYO
Leap Motion
images: http://www.geek.tv
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Google glass
“OK….”
Just the natural progression of interfaces?
Screen-less?
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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…