Xassess: crossdisciplinary framework in user-centred design of assistive products

ABSTRACT

The design of assistive products (AP) is a challenging process that gathers a wide variety of agents with different objectives and backgrounds. This complex scenario demands reflexive and multi-referential methodologies, where assessment is essential to make steady progress. We present Xassess, a specific methodological framework for assistive product design that interweaves different phases and types of assessments; it is materialised in a set of tools to be used individually or conjointly. We validated our proposal in a real project, developing an online social network for the support of people with neurodegenerative illnesses with three different scenarios running in parallel. Main conclusion is that the methodology contributes not only to achieve better results, but also to optimise the global process of managing the design of AP. Assessment should be considered from the beginning of the project and interweaved at every stage, include the vision of all the disciplines involved in the project, merge qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches, and serve as enabler of the shared understanding among different worlds. As Xassess also allowed us to see innovation from a different perspective, we encourage its use as a design guide for Design for All and to tailor it to other design realms.

KEYWORDS:

• Design methodology
• design management
• evaluation
• interdisciplinarity
• shared understanding
• universal design
• design for all

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCiD

Teresa Blanco http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1831-3342

Alfredo Berbegal http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0972-7831

Rubén Blasco http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2286-9762

Roberto Casas http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5316-8171

Notes

1 Assistive products (AP) are usually referred to in the assistive field as assistive technology (AT) as any product, service or system aiming to increase, maintain, or improve the quality of life of people with special needs. As the objective of the design does not necessarily have to be technological, we find the term ‘product’ more appropriate than ‘technology’.

2 From ‘Good design enables, bad design disables’, slogan coined in 1993 by Paul Hogan, founder of the European Institute for Design and Disability (EIDD – Design for All Europe).

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially supported by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación) [grant number IPT-2011-1038-900000] and by Fundación ACS [grant number 2011/0474].