Method Cards for Designing for Situational Impairment

TL;DR

This paper introduces method cards to guide designers in creating more accessible mobile technology by addressing Situationally-Induced Impairments and Disabilities (SIIDs), enhancing inclusivity for all users.

Contribution

It presents a novel set of method cards specifically designed to assist designers in considering and reducing SIIDs during the design process.

Findings

Method cards facilitate awareness of SIIDs among designers

Design process improvements for accessibility are identified

Enhanced inclusive design practices are promoted

Abstract

Despite significant research that was influenced by Situationally-Induced Impairments and Disabilities (SIIDs) to improve the accessibility of mobile technology, there is still lack of awareness on how to design for SIIDs. Designing for situational impairments does not only affect usability for people who have temporary or long-term disabilities, but also for the "ideal" users who get impacted. Limited resources on how to design for situational impairments overlook inclusive interactions and hinder the creation of accessible technology. Thus, I am going to create method cards that can be used during the design process to figure out how to get designers to design for SIIDs. These method cards help us better understand how to improve the design process by addressing the subject of how to design in order to reduce SIIDs.