CVD refers to Color Vision Deficiency, which is a condition that impacts 5 to 10 percent of Americans, according to the National Institute of Health.
Despite being a prevalent issue, it is often underestimated. Individuals with CVD may face marginalization due to societal perceptions that their condition is less disruptive than others. This project aims to acknowledge the difficulties faced by those with CVD and provide tools to help them complete their daily tasks more independently.
How could we assist members of the CVD community in overcoming their most commonly identified challenges?
By observing the online CVD community on Reddit and Twitter, we identified the five most challenging activities in their daily lives. To validate our observation and gain further insight, we conducted a survey and in-depth 1:1 interviews.
Our research and observation on the CVD community led us to identify the five most challenging activities in their daily lives: cooking, grocery picking, driving, shopping, and gaming.
Goals
• We found that current tools are inadequate in addressing the core problem because they are heavily relied on a colorblind filter. Instead of believing the colorblind filter is a panacea for all problems, we realized that different scenarios require distinctive solutions and personalized support.
• All participants preferred mobile apps as the platform of assistant tools over desktop apps and plugins. As a result, we adjusted the original 5 categories to 4 new ones: visualizing data, picking grocery, matching color when shopping, and cooking.
• Asking others for help is the most common workaround. However, participants also acknowledged the inconvenience because their friends and families may not always be available. Therefore, they expressed a need for a speedy and convenient tool to assist them.
• All participants took the online test to figure out their CVD types.
We discovered that while individuals with CVD may face few major, they encounter many minor difficulties in daily tasks. More importantly, the traditional methods of implementing a single colorblind are not effective in addressing these difficulties.
Individuals with CVD need specialized support for 4 specific scenarios, ranging from visualizing data to cooking, with speedy interaction.
I created 2 storyboards to illustrate the concept for various scenarios, in order to develop empathy and gain a deeper understanding of the user's perspective.
As a team, we collectively agreed on a set of adjectives to define the tone of the app.
I led one of the usability tests, in which we evaluated the current mockups through user feedback and create iterative designs. The graph below illustrates the overall progression from sketches to low-fidelity mockups.
We integrated various camera modes, such as visualizing data, picking groceries, matching colors while shopping, and cooking, into a single camera page for ease of use and memorization. Additionally, we separated the data visualization function, as it does not depend on the camera.
Since 3 /3 participants knew their CVD type from the online test, we included a CVD test on the main page, hoping to educate them about their CVD type and direct them to additional resources.
Our app assists users based on their needs and does not require assistance from other individuals, making it more convenient and accessible."
In order to optimize the user experience and interface, we conducted multiple usability tests with participants recruited from the questionnaire.
2/3 participants pointed out confusion when using the color picker because of a lack of clear indication of the activated state and the distraction of the result (color name) from the interaction point (the cross on the screen).
Our solution: we added several indicators when activating the color picker and redesigned the layout to position the color name closer to the interaction point.
All participants liked the specialized support for different scenarios. However, 2 / 3 participants found the interactions from the main page to the camera page tedious because 3 / 4 features always led to the camera page.
Our solution: we simplified the interactions by reorganizing different features into various camera modes on a single page.
We wanted to build a consistent and pleasing visual experience in accordance with visual design principles (eg, visual hierarchy).
