i~Design 3
Extending active living through more effective inclusive design
Objectives and Deliverables Overview
Specific Areas of Work
Objective 1: Extend the existing i~design exclusion scales and calculation algorithms co-ordinators: EDC/Lough/Psych
Overview: This objective aims to go beyond the scales derived from the original ONS disability survey using a research platform based on literature on assessing perceptual motor and cognitive capability. The aim is to develop, test and validate new perceptual, movement and cognitive scales both for the assessment of product demand and user capability. Unlike objective 7 this objective concentrates on the theoretical basis and validity of scales and testing the algorithms and software devised for their calculation. Initially, predictions and performance of the model will be tested against clinical data; the existing ONS data and detailed usability evaluation of products.
Objective 2: Environmental and Contextual factors co-ordinators: Lough/EDC/Psych
Overview: Environmental factors relate to the operating environment of the user as the product is being employed. As well as considering the characteristics of older and disabled people, other vulnerable users also need to be considered. A range of vulnerable users and extreme environments and contexts of use need to be explored, integrating physical, sensory, cognitive and social aspects, using a range of products representative of those required for activities of daily living.
Objective 3: Social acceptability and desirability co-ordinators: Psych/Lough/EDC
Overview: This objective aims to develop the existing EDC model of designers intent [Crilly04]. We will also examine specific factors which are closely linked to the acceptability and desirability of products. These include age, gender, cohorts and social groups, ethnicity and geographical-social contexts with particular reference to product desirability, stigma and affordability.
Objective 4: Calculating detailed Exclusion for products co-ordinators: (EDC/Lough)
Overview: This is a focus objective that integrates the new scales developed in O1 and multiple data sources, including the more accurate i~design data from O7. The new scales will be enhanced with anthropometric ranges and multiple minor impairments; the effects of environment and context, and will include algorithms for exclusion/difficulty calculation.
Objective 5: Creating Representative user samples co-ordinators: (HHC/EDC/Lough)
Overview: This objective researches the creation of representative user sets for inclusive design and assistive technology. The aim is to implement this in conjunction with O6 through the use of personas and groups of personas in representative combinations.
Objective 6: Educating designers to work with users co-ordinators: (HHC/EDC/Lough)
Overview: This objective requires researching the requirements of education of designers to use inclusive data in design.
Objective 7: Creating new population i~design data co-ordinators: (Psych/EDC/Lough)
Overview: This objective is a focus objective bringing together the results of earlier objectives in order to specify the requirements analysis of a national survey for new i~design data. This objective will validate this specification by means of a limited, research pilot survey carried out by the National Centre for Social Research, a professional survey organisation.
Objective 8: Extend i~design to National influence and Facilities co-ordinators: (EDC/All)
Overview: This Objective draws on the previous objective O7 in order to extend the project to greater national influence. As in previous i~design projects, "conventional" dissemination will exploit the existing channels developed under the i~design 1 and 2 projects. In order to highlight the profile of EQUAL 5, to focus advocacy and leadership expertise and initiatives, take advantage of the skill pool provided and target dissemination efforts, a close working partnership will be established with the SPARC network. The cross-consortia work has resources allocated to it which will support a programme of activities, badged under EQUAL 5.
