The design process of a toy with educational objectives for blind and visually impaired pre-school children: a design process model for problem identification, novel concept development, and frequent involvement of the user group

Abstract

The thesis investigates design methods and phase models towards a reinterpretation of the design process towards a specific design task. The study reveals the essence of the process as a design process core, onto which may be built design process models to suit design tasks of diverse nature and scale. The role of the designer is underlined as, not only the person who carries out the creative act of designing, but as who employs knowledge and skills in devising own process model towards carrying out a design task, aiming at a product, honest to its purpose. The design process core is then built into a design process model for the particular design task of designing a toy for blind and visually impaired pre-school children. The model is devised with the particular aims of identifying a problem area, developing a totally novel concept, and frequently involving the user group throughout the process. With this approach to the design process, it is argued that, the designer, aware of the responsibility of his/her actions and decisions in the forming of a culture of living, identifying a socially relevant area of design, may work towards an output/product, to become a responsible part of the life system of the particular user groups. The design process model is then employed in the designing of a toy with educational objectives, embodying intense research and generation of ideas. The outcome of the process is field tested in a playgroup in the Kent area. The results of the field test contribute to further improvements on the design decisions. The model is assessed as to: its organising of collaboration within the process, systematic accumulation of research findings towards a design output, implications on the field of design methodology; and implications of the outcome of this particular application on the specific user group. Further areas of research are suggested