Anthropometrics without numbers!

(Anthropometrics without Numbers! An Investigation of Designers' Use and Preference of People Data By Nickpour F and Dong H) There is still missing knowledge to encourage and support designers in adoption and implementation of inclusive design. Some of this missing knowledge comes in the form of anthropometric data which provides accessible information on users' capabilities and limitations. Support and resources for designers on this type of data seems to be limited and exclusive. This study focuses on evaluating the existing use of anthropometric data by professional designers, aiming to explore means of presenting such data more effectively. Ten UK-based design consultancies were interviewed and completed questionnaires collecting information on designer’s current use of anthropometric data, their suggestions on presentation of that data and their preferences on data tools. It is concluded that the use of anthropometric data sources by designers is very limited and minimal; experienced designers tend to rely mainly on experimental methods such as physical prototyping and engagement with people. The results provide insights into designers' existing approaches to data collection and use. This study highlights the need for development of a highly visual, simple and intuitive data tool based on the interviewed designers’ preferences and suggestions. This has to be done by carefully adopting the designers’ existing approaches to data collection and use and by adapting existing data into that

Information behaviour in design

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.Designers draw on a significant volume and range of information throughout the design process. This could include information on people, materials, markets, processes, etc. However, not all this information is effectively communicated to and used by designers. In order to provide designers with information that is useful, useable and engaging for them, it is important to understand why designers use information, what information they use and when and how they use it. This will be collectively referred to as ‘information behaviour’ in this thesis. There is currently a lack of a holistic understanding of designers’ information behaviour. Through developing a framework for investigation, analysis and reflection on designers’ use and requirements of information, this research aims to provide a better understanding of information behaviour in design, leading to a systematic way to address the key dimensions of information used in a design process. For this purpose, the research focuses on ‘practicing designers’ as key users of information in the real-world practice of design and ‘people information’ as a major type of information used during the design process. An initial framework for addressing key dimensions of information used in the design process is outlined through the analysis and synthesis of relevant literature. The framework is then evaluated and refined through four complementary studies: an interview and questionnaire administered to nine design companies; observation of a design team in a real-world design project; observation of three teams through a design competition; and a survey of designers and design researchers. The outcomes of the studies lead to a refined version of the information framework that includes seven key dimensions and details designers’ behaviour in regard to ‘purpose’, ‘source’, ‘format’, ‘type’, ‘at tributes’, ‘stage’ and ‘intensity’ of people information they use. The research conducted with designers leads to an enhanced understanding of their information behaviour with respect to the seven key dimensions. A new information framework has been created and evaluated; and it is argued that it can be used as a research and education tool to investigate and analyse information used during core stages of a design process. The framework can also assist developers of information tools to make informed decisions on what, how and when to communicate information to designers, ensuring that this information is delivered in a way which has maximum impact on the design process

Beyond accessible mobility: Insights into psychosocial inclusivity dimensions in personal transport

The authors and IOS Press. © 2016 The authors and IOS Press.The importance of psychosocial aspects has been gradually recognised in the field of inclusive design. A critical review of existing literature, however, such as design, healthcare, psychology, and sociology, on psychosocial aspects of inclusivity identifies a two-fold research gap which is a limited understanding of both definition and dimensions of psychosocial inclusivity in the field of inclusive design. Such concept of psychosocial inclusivity is an inherently context-dependent and multi-faceted concept. Accordingly, a 'personal mobility' was focused on in this paper as one key context to explore psychosocial inclusivity to facilitate thorough and in-depth study of this concept. In this study, therefore, the interviews with 37 mobility-challenged participants were performed, and then the interview data was analysed by using a coding analyses to identify key psychosocial factors of inclusive design based on participants' lived-experiences

Mentality Shift in Inclusive Design: From Physical to Psychosocial Inclusion.

With the dual demographics of people with disabilities and an aging population, inclusive design has been recognised as a design application for designing products, environments and services. Also psychosocial aspects have been used for increasing quality of life in many fields of studies. However, it is not thoroughly and fully applied yet in the field of inclusive design. It is because, the physical aspects have been mainly focused rather than psychosocial aspects in the existing conventional inclusive design principles and applications. With this limited information of the concept of psychosocial aspects in the field of inclusive design, an initial definitions and frameworks for psychosocial inclusion were identified from literature analysis in this research. This initial definition and framework were then developed through an interview study. Hence, the developed definition and framework for psychosocial inclusion in the field of inclusive design were suggested. Theses definition and framework will be refined and verified through a number of research studies such as field study and Delphi interview study in later stages. The final definition and framework may play a potentially crucial role in the future of inclusive design

Designing ergonomics data tools for designers

Copyright © 2002-2010 The Design Society. All rights reserved.Ergonomics provides important user data for design. However, when interviewing designers about their use of data in the design process, we found that experienced designers' use of ergonomics data were very limited. Being "out of date", "irrelevant" and "hard to understand and work with" were the main comments on existing ergonomics datasets, especially anthropometrics. The eleven designers interviewed all tend to adopt more experimental approaches to data capture, for example, through building ergonomics rigs and conducting user tests. They prefer designer-friendly user data tools, e.g. relevant, intuitive, highly visual tools which are fast and easy to learn and to work with; and prefer tools that are compatible with other design tools they typically use. Based on the designers' preferences and suggestions, we have prototyped a number of new tools for communicating user data to industrial designers. Two workshops were organized to evaluate the effectiveness of these tools with novice and professional designers. The feedback from the workshop participants was used for further development of these user data tools.EPSR

The necessity of gastric mucosal biopsy in dyspeptic patients with normal upper endoscopy in Modarres hospital 2017-2018

Background: Considering the diagnostic and therapeutic costs of patients with dyspepsia and the importance of diagnosis during gastrointestinal malignancies, in this study, we investigated the necessity of gastric mucosal biopsy in dyspeptic patients with normal upper endoscopy in Modarres hospital and their 6 months follow up. We studied their endoscopic biopsies changes and some of the involved risk factors this duration.Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 115 patients with dyspepsia, were referred from gastroenterology clinic of Modarres hospital during 2017-2018, were evaluated. Patients were enrolled in a study that did not have any ulcer and mass or deep mucosal lesion in the early endoscopy Surface erosions were no exception and could be included. Five biopsy samples were obtained from different stomach sites. After the pathology results, the patients who had malignancy reports, excluded from the study and other patients were treated with anti-acid drugs and, if necessary, eradicated Helicobacter pylori. After 6 months, they were again subjected to endoscopy and biopsies were taken. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 22.Results: The rate of Helicobacter pylori in patients with endoscopic dyspepsia without mucosal lesions after 6 months of treatment was reduced compared to pre-treatment p<0.05, 20.9% vs 12.2%. The severity of chronic gastritis mild to moderate in patients with endoscopic dyspepsia without mucosal lesions after 6 months of treatment was reduced compared to pre-treatment p<0.05, 89.6% vs 80%. There was a significant difference between metaplasia in patients with endoscopic dyspepsia without mucosal lesions before and 6 months after treatment p<0.05, 33%, vs 20%. Female gender, negative family history of GI cancer and not using alcohol were factors that significantly improved the results of biopsy chronic gastritis/ H. pylori /metaplasia after 6 months.Conclusion: Regarding the reduction in the severity of chronic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori and metaplasia in this group of patients after 6 months of treatment, it is recommended that refraining from unnecessary follow-up and biopsy and imposing cost to the patient and the medical system and be limited to high-risk groups

Beyond Accessible Aisles? Psychosocial Inclusivity of Shopping Experience: an ethnographic investigation

Purpose: There is currently a limited understanding of psychosocial aspects in inclusive design, although the importance of non-physical inclusion has been recognised. This paper reports a study of older individuals' supermarket shopping experience, designed and conducted to identify any possible psychosocial components in inclusive design. Methods: Empirical investigations; ethnographic interviews (n = 31); creative workshop (n = 19); observations (n = 8), were conducted with participants aged 60 and over to identify key psychosocial components in their supermarket shopping experience. The results from these investigations were analysed using thematic coding analysis methods. Findings: Findings suggest four major dimensions including 'cognitive', 'social', 'emotional', and 'value' factors, define and affect psychosocial inclusivity of older adults' supermarket shopping experience. Each factor is further defined and detailed with a series of sub-themes, and key aspects in regard to each dimension are highlighted

Design Meets Death. A case of critical discourse and strategic contributions

End-of-life is a profound and inevitable part of life, and thus, human condition. It raises significant and critical questions around the meaning, purpose, fairness and quality of life, on multiple individual, inter-personal, and societal levels. Design for end-of-life is an emerging area, gaining visibility and interdisciplinary interest. Current contributions around design and end-of-life are however, limited and disjointed, lacking in critical knowledge base and strategic vision. While valuable, such rush into interventional, operational and incremental contributions, is archetypal of design’s ‘problem-solving’ approach, and would risk obscuring the broader and potentially significant theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions between design and end-of-life. This paper argues the case for adopting a ‘problem framing’, transdisciplinary, systemic approach to this fascinating emerging field. By initiating, for the first time, a theoretically and empirically informed critical discourse between the two fields of design and end-of-life, critical questions, strategic opportunities, and significant contributions between the two fields could be identified and outlined

A conceptual framework for inclusive digital storytelling to increase diversity and motivation for cultural tourism in Thailand

Cultural tourism is considered to be a niche market and little attention has been paid to it, as compared with mass tourism. Moreover, visitors have little motivation to visit actual historical sites and read the story displayed behind the exhibitions. These issues highlight a good opportunity to increase further potential extended tourism and increase the motivation of visitors. To broaden and increase the potential market, this study applies inclusive design principles as 'understanding and designing for diversity' and presents reports on the first study. To increase the motivation of tourists, this study adopts digital storytelling as 'the guideline to increase motivation' and illustrates this in the second study