If I had control over the design …

HOwcan members of the human factors community influence the design methodologies of other technical communities? Through this column, I hope to open up the floor for you to share and exchange various perspectives from communities that have a vested interest in good and thoughtful design. I recently spoke at length with an information technology architect, Ted Shelly, who is visually impaired. We were working with him on a data modeling tool, and through that experience we realized there were basic steps we could take to improve the user interface to make it more accessible for his magnification software. The improvements we made, such as limiting unnecessary mouse movements and avoiding fanciful icons, seemed to provide clarity and consistency for other users as well. Taking that notion a bit further, I wondered what other good general design principles are important for the visually impaired community that also serve a broader community. Ted immediately remarked how the last thing people usually consider is how to provide for the visually impaired. Discussing this deeper, he offered these observations: 1. Consider the controls on stove ovens. New sleek designs offer a soft touch control and LCD readout. There are no tactile elements on the switches for feedback. A person with visual impairments would need to count how many times he or she pressed the button in order to reach the desired setting. If one considers the constant activity of a kitchen, it would be easy to lose count! In addition, as one concentrates on counting, it is difficult to converse with others, which can lead to some social misunderstandings. 2. Ted has used the same cell phone for five years because he doesn't want to learn a new set of menus for a new phone. He is eager to have new features, but the cost of adapting to them is very high. 3. Many devices rely on the LCD as the primary user interface to the device. As sleek as their designs may be -like the iPod they are not accessible to anyone who can't see the display. Ted noted the importance of testing products on a broad variety of the user population, especially with the increasing number of aging users, who may also begin to experience visual impairments. Some of these suggestions seem small or obvious, but it is still important that they be presented again especially when they come from the perspective of someone who faces these concerns every day. What is clear from these observations is the degree to which Ted relies on his memory to use various devices. Calculating how taxing a task might be for someone who needs to memorize the steps required to complete the task might be a good design exercise. The outcome may result in fewer steps required, or combining steps, which may lead to benefits for anyone performing that task. Another thoughtful exercise would be to design a control panel with a touchbased layout. This technique has been tested in a university setting, where the researchers learned that haptic designs resulted in more grouping by function than did visually designed layouts. This reinforces the importance of analyzing how to enable the successful completion of a task. This analysis can lead to good design. Probably everyone has expressed disappointment with a product, user interface, or device of some kind at some point. Many audible groans can be heard when the use of various controls doesn't match the user's expectations. Here are some examples: