Multisensory Approaches From Interactive Art to Inclusive Design

In interactive art and multimedia installations, the public plays a fundamental part. Visitors change the meaning and the appearance of artwork according to their sensitivity and preferred way of interaction. For designers, this audience is the set of users on which they should focus their projects. Among the most pervasive technologies are a variety of solutions for interacting with the environment, activated by gesture and movement sensors, voice interfaces,.. and a range of ways of enabling people with different abilities. Many of these technologies were born to be integrated into disability devices or are often used to allow access to the usage of an artifact by people with different kinds of impairments. There are many examples of how solutions designed for specific niches have over time been integrated into common use in private and public areas, recreational and cultural spaces. Through an analysis of the process that has given rise to this, it is possible to understand when and how designers should intervene in the creation of their projects to ensure the accessibility and usability of the resulting artifacts. In the empathizing and ideating design phases, it seems necessary to consider the various multisensory modes of interaction to guarantee the usability and scalability of the project. In this way, the outcome may become truly inclusive and accessible, but also a benchmark for human-centered design, starting from specific needs and incorporating them into everyday use to integrate small groups and minorities, not creating projects and devices that separate and divide them

From Empathy to Inclusive Design: Multisensory Solutions for (Not Only) Socially Sustainable Projects

Solutions designed for specific niches have over time become integrated into common use, while others have remained the sole purview of small groups, defining and stigmatizing them. Through an analysis of the process that has made many technological solutions created for the disabled into common use for the majority, it is possible to understand when and how designers should intervene in creating their projects to guarantee the accessibility and usability of the resulting artefacts. There are ways to ‘empathize’ and consider users based on their general abilities and technological skills, so as to broaden the meaning and the sphere of accessibility. Deepening users’ needs and ways of interacting, shaping ‘personas’ according to their abilities and not just difficulties, can help design more inclusively. This approach makes possible not only the scalability and inclusiveness of the end result but also of the design tools, focusing on specific needs without being exclusionary

Measuring landscapes – A storytelling rhythm through shared places and itineraries

The experimentation in three different territories makes it possible to develop a modular narrative based on specific landscapes through itineraries and remarkable points capable of representing their peculiarities. Understanding the quality of the different landscapes as the expression of local values and cultures, involving the communities for a shared narration of the memory and the most significant places and promoting them, and rediscovering the potential of experiential tourism are the objectives of the research. It envisages an integrated approach to the theme of knowledge and enjoyment of the landscape, identifying specific rhythms in the places to cross, through innovative digital tools and sharing with the local communities, looking for solidarity and activation of relations between users and inhabitants, for a dynamic storytelling that allows for further enrichment.   Article info Received: 14/09/2023; Revised: 01/10/2023; Accepted: 17/10/202

Simulation-based learning and digital tools. A trial for Pharmacy Services

This paper focuses, amidst a collective desire to re-appropriate sociality and a focus on the use of digital and ‘phygital’ practices to promote inclusion and diminish the human impact on the planet, on the choice of hybrid, physical or virtual modes of interaction as a function of punctual rather than generalised needs to foster a conscious and sustained digital transition in university education. The essay deals with the simulation method as an established tool in learning medical disciplines, declining it in an unprecedented scenario such as pharmaceuticals and experimenting with its digitisation. With a view to the development of integrated didactics between analogue and digital, the case study Pharmacy of Services provides the basis for an extended reflection on the future potential of university education

Inclusive multimodal personas: strumenti per interagire e abilitare. Laboratori di voce e gesti nella fruizione culturale.

Il design, nel confrontarsi con le esigenze reali delle persone, nel suo percorso disciplinare ricerca strumenti e metodi volti a definire prodotti, artefatti e servizi capaci di rispondere alle esigenze di un pubblico il più ampio possibile. In quest’ottica, al fine di includere la diversità umana, si sono nel tempo sviluppati approcci progettuali peculiari, rivolti a prodotti e a tecnologie abilitanti capaci di compensare disabilità e deficit e, quindi destinati a gruppi di utenti con caratteristiche e abilità specifiche. La ricerca di dottorato parte proprio dall’analisi e dalla mappatura di alcune di queste tecnologie e soluzioni progettuali nate per delle esigenze specifiche, di particolari disabilità o minoranze, che poi sono diventate di uso comune e quotidiano su larga scala. Il fine è quello di analizzare questa tendenza consolidata per comprenderne le motivazioni e la genesi, e di conseguenza provare a ricavare dei principi progettuali capaci di generare prodotti che soddisfino al contempo le necessità di utenti considerati “normodotati” e nella “maggioranza”, nonché utenti con diversi tipi di disabilità, deficit e minoranze, senza creare eccessive differenziazioni e stigmatizzazioni. L’analisi di casi-studio di prodotti ed artefatti, che nascono per necessità specifiche e diventano poi di uso quotidiano, prende l’avvio da una netta demarcazione tra tutto ciò che rimane ad uso molto specifico nel rispondere ad un’esigenza di nicchia, divenendo in qualche modo oggetto di stigma, e tutto quello che d’altra parte è entrato nell’uso comune. Il primo obiettivo è stato, quindi, capire quali elementi siano stati fondamentali per realizzare questa transizione; dunque, individuare in quale fase della progettazione sia necessario agire in modo che lo scatto tra la soluzione di nicchia e quella più universale non sia soggetto a casualità o a serie di contingenze, ma sia un obiettivo ben chiaro fin dall’inizio. Sono stati evidenziati nel processo una serie di casi studio che sottolineano come, in molte situazioni, tecnologie utilizzate come abilitanti o compensative sono in realtà alla base di una serie di installazioni interattive, nell’arte contemporanea e multimediale, e allo stesso tempo sono all’interno di oggetti ormai quotidiani o comunque largamente diffusi. Definire utenti con deficit o esigenze particolari solo in base queste ultime significa creare sempre soluzioni a parte, provocando una separazione che l’attività di progettuale deve ridurre, se non eliminare. Partendo da questi presupposti, si delinea come la modalità stessa con cui si profila il target progettuale possa influenzare le caratteristiche dell’output, che risulterà più o meno inclusivo. In particolare, dai dati emersi e in corrispondenza della pandemia di Covid-19, si è deciso di concentrarsi su gestualità touchless come spunto di riflessione per analizzare le potenzialità della multimodalità delle interazioni; queste sono state analizzate in particolare in corrispondenza dell’uso vocale e gestuale, a sua volta diviso per consapevole e non consapevole. Prevedere diverse modalità di interazione per l’attivazione di un oggetto o per l’interazione con uno spazio spesso permette di creare un’unica soluzione che possa dare vita a un punto di incontro e non di separazione per utenti con diverse necessità e abilità. L’analisi delle tecnologie abilitanti, in base alla loro possibilità di diventare di uso comune e potenzialità, ha permesso di definire il concetto di “multitasking inclusivo”, ovvero la possibilità di scelta nell’interazione con un artefatto a diversi livelli. L’introduzione di questo principio ha messo in luce alcune caratteristiche importanti per creare soluzioni inclusive, non escludenti, capaci di creare un reale vantaggio condiviso. In seguito, sulla base di questo principio, si è optato per lo sviluppo di uno strumento progettuale, anche rivolto al mondo della formazione dei progettisti, idoneo a valutare l’effettivo impatto sulle soluzioni progettuali individuate. Visto che l’abilità dell’utente e il modo con cui quest’ultimo ha la possibilità di attivare una relazione con l’intorno sono discriminanti fondamentali per la natura accessibile del progetto, la ricerca propone e sperimenta una nuova modalità di costruire lo strumento personas. Tenendo in considerazione il processo creativo tipico del design thinking, che quindi pone l’empatizzazione come step primario, la fase di profilazione degli utenti risulta fondamentale per tracciare la direzione inclusiva del progetto. Si propone di tracciare i propri utenti attraverso non solo quello che non possono fare, ma includendo sempre ciò che possono, vogliono e sono disposti a fare. Incrociando bisogni e abilità sarà possibile per il progettista sapere quali modalità di interazione saranno necessarie per rendere la propria soluzione realmente fruibile dal più ampio numero di persone. L’ipotesi della tesi è che costruire i personas in base alle loro abilità e a modalità di interazione multisensoriali dalla prima fase della progettazione aiuta a dar vita a progetti più inclusivi. Il conseguente obiettivo è quello di fornire nuovi strumenti di progettazione (e implementare quelli esistenti) per empatizzare a supporto del design inclusivo. La parte di sperimentazione effettuata attraverso una serie di workshop mette alla prova lo strumento di progettazione prototipato durante la ricerca, proponendolo ad una serie di partecipanti, sia progettisti dei corsi di laurea in design, sia fruitori di mostre culturali, partendo da un livello più acerbo quale quello degli studenti all’inizio dei loro studi, fino ad arrivare a designer più esperti. Ciò permette di raccogliere dati soprattutto qualitativi nel valutare lo strumento come utile a condizionare un output “for all”. È possibile in questo modo valutare eventuali cambiamenti nelle modalità del tool stesso, a seconda della maturità del progettista o del team di persone coinvolte. Il campo della fruizione di contenuti culturali e dell’allestimento degli spazi museali è parso ottimale per la sperimentazione, perché deve essere necessariamente fruibile da un ampio pubblico, con diversi livelli di complessità ma comunque aperto a tutti. Una volta individuato lo strumento e i parametri di inclusione ed esclusione sulla base delle modalità di interazione, è possibile fare anche un’operazione contraria: valutare non solo l’accessibilità di uno spazio nel senso più classico, ma considerarne proprio il livello di engagement inclusivo. La ricerca, quindi, propone un “tool” e il “reverse tool” corrispondente. Per quanto sia importante infatti progettare a partire dalla necessità degli utenti, risulta altrettanto fondamentare avere degli strumenti per rendere più accessibile e performante a livello inclusivo un progetto già realizzato. Dall’analisi di un trend e la conseguente affermazione di un principio, quindi, si giunge alla sperimentazione di un vero e proprio strumenti progettuale e di diversi test dell’usabilità a livello di inclusione, grazie alla definizione di un principio e all’esplorazione, nonché validazione, dell’importante di un approccio multisensoriale e multimodale nella scelta delle modalità di interazione presenti a livello di progetto. Il contributo originale della tesi consiste nella mappatura di casi studio in base a modalità di interazione potenzialmente inclusive; nell’introduzione di un principio per la progettazione inclusiva; nell’implementazione dello strumento personas in “inclusive multimodal personas” e del reverse tool corrispondente.In facing the real needs of people, the design discipline pursues tools and methods aimed at shaping products, artefacts and services capable over time to meet the needs of the widest possible audience. From this perspective, in order to include human diversity, peculiar design approaches have been developed through the years, focusing on enabling products and technologies capable of compensating for disabilities and impairments and, therefore, aimed at user groups with specific characteristics and abilities. The doctoral research begins with the analysis and mapping of some of these technologies and design solutions that originated for specific needs, for peculiar difficulties or minorities, which then became common and everyday use on a wide scale. The aim is to analyse this consolidated trend in order to understand its motivations and genesis, and consequently try to derive design principles capable of generating products that satisfy the needs of users considered "normal" and in the "majority" at the same time, as well as users with different types of disabilities, deficits and minorities, without thereby generating excessive differentiation and stigmatisation. The analysis of case-studies of products and artefacts, which originate for specific needs and then become everyday use, starts from a clear demarcation between anything that retains a very specific use in meeting a narrow niche need, becoming in some way an object of stigma, and all those that on the other hand have entered into common use. In facing the real needs of people, the design discipline pursues tools and methods aimed at shaping products, artefacts and services capable over time to meet the needs of the widest possible audience. From this perspective, in order to include human diversity, peculiar design approaches have been developed through the years, focusing on enabling products and technologies capable of compensating for disabilities and impairments and, therefore, aimed at user groups with specific characteristics and abilities. The doctoral research begins with the analysis and mapping of some of these technologies and design solutions that originated for specific needs, for peculiar difficulties or minorities, which then became common and everyday use on a wide scale. The aim is to analyse this consolidated trend in order to understand its motivations and genesis, and consequently try to derive design principles capable of generating products that satisfy the needs of users considered "normal" and in the "majority" at the same time, as well as users with different types of disabilities, deficits and minorities, without thereby generating excessive differentiation and stigmatisation. The analysis of case-studies of products and artefacts, which originate for specific needs and then become everyday use, starts from a clear demarcation between anything that retains a very specific use in meeting a narrow niche need, becoming in some way an object of stigma, and all those that on the other hand have entered into common use. The first goal was, therefore, to understand what elements were fundamental in bringing about this transition; hence, to identify at which stage in the design process it was necessary to act so that the shift between the niche solution and the more universal one was not dependent on randomness or a series of contingencies, but was a clear purpose from the outset. In the process, a number of case studies were highlighted that underline how, in many situations, technologies used as enabling or compensatory are actually at the basis of a number of interactive installations, in contemporary art and multimedia, and at the same time are within objects that are now everyday or at least widely used. Defining users with deficits or special needs solely on the basis of these always means creating separate solutions, causing a separation that design work must reduce, if not eliminate. Starting from these assumptions, it can be observed how the very manner in which the design target is profiled can influence the characteristics of the output, which will be more or less inclusive. In particular, from the data that emerged and in correspondence with the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been deemed to focus on touchless gestures as a starting point for analysing the potential of multimodality of interactions; these have been analysed in particular in correspondence with vocal and gestural use, which in turn has been divided into conscious and un-conscious. Providing different ways of interaction for the activation of an object or for interaction with a space often allows for a single solution that can create a meeting point and not a separation for users with different needs and abilities. The analysis of enabling technologies, based on their possibility of becoming commonplace and potential, allowed the concept of 'inclusive multitasking' to be defined, i.e. the possibility of choice when interacting with an artefact at different levels. The introduction of this principle has brought to light some important features to create inclusive, non-exclusive solutions capable of creating a real shared benefit. Subsequently, on the basis of this principle, it was decided to develop a design tool, also aimed at the world of designer training, capable of assessing the actual impact on the design solutions identified. Since the user's ability and the way in which the user is able to activate a relationship with the surroundings are fundamental discriminants for the accessible nature of the project, the research suggests and pioneers a fresh approach to constructing the personas tool. Bearing in mind the typical creative process of design thinking, which hence places empathisation as a primary step, the user profiling phase is fundamental to tracing the inclusive direction of the project. It is proposed to profile users through not only what they cannot do, but always including what they can, want and are willing to do. By cross-referencing needs and abilities, it will be possible for the designer to know what kinds of interaction will be required to make their solution truly usable by the widest number of people. The hypothesis of the thesis is that constructing personas according to their abilities and multi-sensory modes of interaction from the earliest stage of design helps to create more inclusive designs. The consequent aim is to provide new design tools (and implement existing ones) to empathise in support of inclusive design. The experimental part carried out through a series of workshops puts the design tool prototyped during the research to the test by proposing it to a range of participants, both designers on design degree courses and users of cultural exhibitions, moving from a more acerbic level such as students at the beginning of their studies to more experienced designers. This makes it possible to gather mainly qualitative data in evaluating the tool as useful in influencing an output "for all". In this way, it is possible to assess possible changes in the modalities of the tool itself, depending on the maturity of the designer or the team of people involved. The field of the use of cultural content and the setting up of museum spaces seemed optimal for testing, because it would necessarily have to be usable by a wide audience, with different levels of complexity but nevertheless open to all. Once the tool and the parameters of inclusion and exclusion have been identified on the basis of the modes of interaction, it is also possible to do the opposite: to assess not only the accessibility of a space in the most classical sense, but to consider precisely its level of inclusive engagement. The research, therefore, proposes a "tool" and the corresponding "reverse tool". As important as it is to design from the users' needs, it is equally fundamental to have tools to make an already realised project more accessible and inclusive. Thus, from the analysis of a trend and the consequent affirmation of a principle, we arrive at the experimentation of a real design tool and several usability tests at the level of inclusion, thanks to the definition of a principle and the exploration, as well as validation, of the importance of a multisensory and multimodal approach in the choice of interaction modalities at the project level. The original contribution of the thesis lies in the mapping of case studies according to potentially inclusive modes of interaction; in the introduction of a principle for inclusive design; and in the implementation of the "inclusive multimodal personas" tool and the corresponding reverse tool

Pays Aimables: visual storytelling and landscape values

Mass tourism in Italy may leave aside spaces in a crisis of identity. Generally, these spaces belong to the inland areas, abandoned by the inhabitants over the years, even if bearers of values related to landscape care and culture. This heritage needs to be reinterpreted by activating resources and sharing knowledge through innovative actions and communication strategies. Promoting these articulated landscapes may suggest alternatives and allow travelers to rediscover the pleasure of immersive experiences and close relationships with producers and local actors able to witness their values. The paper illustrates an integrated research to explore this dimension with the aim of co-producing with local stakeholders a strategic vision to create operational plans to enhance less known territories. The process displays the design of a structured format developed through cartographic and landscape surveys, netnography, social analysis and collection of testimonials, to realize an interactive opensource travel e-book, QRcode linked

APPRENDIMENTO TRAMITE SIMULAZIONE E TOOL DIGITALI. Una sperimentazione per la Farmacia dei Servizi / SIMULATION-BASED LEARNING AND DIGITAL TOOLS. A trial for Pharmacy Services

The paper focuses, amidst a collective desire to re-appropriate sociality and a focus on the use of digital and ‘phygital’ practices to promote inclusion and diminish the human impact on the planet, on the choice of hybrid, physical or virtual modes of interaction as a function of punctual rather than generalised needs to foster a conscious and sustained digital transition in university education. The essay deals with the simulation method as an established tool in learning medical disciplines, declining it in an unprecedented scenario such as pharmaceuticals and experimenting with its digitisation. With a view to the development of integrated didactics between analogue and digital, the case study Pharmacy of Services provides the basis for an extended reflection on the future potential of university education