Once in blue moon — my procrastination loses and motivation wins
Last year, I came across a Product Design competition, organized by a brand that I knew very well (and that, one of my favorite celebrities recently became a spokesperson for that brand). I had to enter (and I wanted to win, like really win). But I also knew that it was not going to be easy peasy unless I was a prodigy or something. I still had to learn a lot — I knew it well.
But when I started getting ideas, out in the blue — while I was eating or watching a show or doing random things, I realized that, once I had some mission (let’s call task or goal as mission, sounds cooler), my thoughts were redirected to that purpose. And then, why not just try it out if I have already begun thinking about it.
P.s although I still did procrastinate and submitted it at the last moment. I was glad to receive the ‘your submission is successful’ message — a relief (or was there a bug? — just my anxious mind overthinking).
Idea
The word that came to my mind after reading the theme “Shape Tomorrow” was inclusiveness. There are different ways to perceive the meaning of it.
stories and putting myself into it (briefly):
My friend is left-handed, and everyone else in the family is right-handed. They have an old refrigerator (probably designed for right-handed people as the majority). And it is not as easy to use for a left-handed person as it is for a right-handed one.
Does my friend have to buy a specific refrigerator just because of left-handedness?
Let’s say there is a refrigerator designed for left-handed people; Is it creating an inclusive space or making them feel different than the others? Of course, they can adjust to it or learn to use their right hand. But how often do you say this to a right-handed person?
- Some numbers and quoting exactly from BBC — “Research suggests that between ten and twelve percent of the world’s population is left-handed and even though being left handed might mean struggling with right-handed scissors from time-to-time, there are plenty of reasons being a lefty is pretty cool.”
Staring at the hospital window, “I cannot recall the last time I was outside, but I remember the accident like it was just yesterday. It has been a year already, and I am still not used to using my left hand. Oh, did I mention that I was right-handed before?”
- For a week, I tried to use everyday products and do the activities using my left hand. The result: I failed; I either had to adjust or look for an alternative. I felt that I should try harder, and it is me who is not doing it right because I was able to do it before.
“Will I be able to see the colors like everyone else? Does everyone see the same colors as each other?” These kinds of questions come to my mind, a person who has now become color blind. I am trying to get used to it, somehow.
- For a week, I turned my phone into grey-scale, and everything seemed alien to me. I had to adjust, maybe because I knew how it looked with colors and felt strange to see them without it. Would the experience be different if I was color blind from the beginning? It would be the same as learning a new thing — as the environment is the same.
what i think inclusive is / could be:
Creating an exclusive product to be inclusive feels ironic in itself. What if the product is designed to bring everyone (or at least most of them) together?
Designing products that empower people irrespective of who they are and the situations that changed them.
To avoid self-blaming for not being able to use everyday products as everyone else does. To feel connected, inclusively.
Abstract
If I had an unforeseen incident where I couldn’t see or hear or use my dominant arm, how would everything around me change? Will I be able to do everyday activities like I used to do before? Is it my fault that I am not able to adapt or do I have to change myself and the surroundings?
And to begin with, how can I put my idea into practicality. Is there something that I could start with. That’s when the alarm rang and tadaa! I got the answer.
Smartwatch has become an integral part of everyday life — not just a device that tells the time. It is handy, literally. They are more than just about time, they can be guiding and notifying devices as well. But I realized, not everyone gets the benefit of it.
For instance, this experience:
I thought about how many groups we could include and create a generalized concept. My final version of concept was designed keeping the following groups: irrespective of right handed or left handed, blind and/or deaf, partially or fully color blind.
Note: I am not a Product Designer and I could only come with a somewhat concept, however I am firm on the idea and pain points that we could cover altogether.
shape
Out of possible shapes, square takes up space efficiently.
controls
They can be either on top or bottom — making it easier for left or right handed people.
For people with no arms or uncomfortable to wear on arm, having a chain-like attachment available with the watch can help to use it in multiple ways — like a necklace or a pocket watch.
Well, I could only think of ideas (didn’t have the required resources through which I could have pulled this off better). When thinking about how the interaction would be, the dilemma I was in:
If a blind person uses an only-blind product and wants help to understand, people unaware about braille or similar communication methods might not be able to help.”
I was thinking of these scenarios, answers of which were not as vague as ‘make it simple, minimal’. That’s when I looked up online, for a few days — to the extent that days after doing this, most of the ads were about watches.
Our usual watches, then ones designed for blind, etc, etc, all the keywords I could think of, and yet I couldn’t find anything close to my idea.
So here is my completely hypothetical, imaginary, and probably unrealistic concept, unless someone tells me it is possible (and if so, I would love to be part of the making process).
interaction
Having a ‘rubber-like screen’ which displays content on flat screen (for normal people),
but on pressing the control button, the braille dots come up (for blind people); high contrast display (color related sight-issues).
There is also a voice assistant that can read what it is being displayed (for deaf people).
display
The controls can either be at the top-side or having a friction control on front-top can help those who are blind.
(as the touch smartwatches don’t have any friction-based touch area, it is difficult to know)
Briefly putting my idea: The display shows (initially) flat regular display, (on pressing control), the braille dots pop out a little on the screen and overlay on the display content. (blind and non-blind people — both can understand)
Now what?
Obviously, I didn’t win. And I was satisfied (maybe, regretted a little — I could have made it better). But even so, I was glad that I took part and learned a thing or two, maybe more. Thinking back about it…
I am highly unsure whether I was extremely stupid to come up with something like this or kind-of innovative to think about it — someone who can talk / discuss / suggest / support / collaborate / give feedback / critical review / or anything, please do :)
