Comprehend and empathize with the everyday life of a person with partial vision
research | user stories | persona
introduction
Gain insight into the experiences of individuals with partial visual impairment and create a record of it in a format that can be accessed by future generations through various mediums.
The task at hand is to develop a storyboard for an XR simulation that enables users to comprehend and empathize with the everyday life of an individual who has partial visual impairment
Team
Aashritha, Rhea, Veena, Vaibhavi, Viviliya
design process
EMPATHIZE
EXPLORE
VALIDATE
Real world problem
Bodystorming,
Scenario opportunities
Simulate
Unstructured research findings
Setting context, reasoning out
The final draft
RELATE
TRAVERSE
SOLVE
PERSONALIZE
CONNECT DOTS
REFINEMENT
DEFINE
DRILLDOWN
IMPLEMENT
research goals
Distinguish and describe the various forms of partial visual impairment, including their symptoms, causes, risk factors, and potential treatments
Enumerate the difficulties encountered by individuals with partial visual impairment
Identify the current solutions available for individuals with partial visual impairment
insight
Based on research we discovered that there are about nine different kinds of partial blindness.
For this project we chose to focus on “ Retinitis Pigmentosa - Tunnel Vision”
Retinitis Pigmentosa - Tunnel Vision
About
Symptoms
Causes
Risk Factor
Treatment
An eye disease in which the back wall of the eye (retina) is damaged. Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare, inherited degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment. Symptoms often include decreased vision at night or in low light and loss of side vision (tunnel vision).
Early signs and symptoms of retinitis pigmentosa include:
Problems with night vision.
Problems seeing in dim light.
Blind spots in peripheral (side) vision.
Retinitis pigmentosa, as other IRDs, is caused by changes in certain genes. These genes control the cells that make up your retina.
The main sign of the disease is the presence of dark deposits in the retina. The main risk factor is a family history of retinitis pigmentosa. It is a rare condition affecting about 1 in 4,000 people
At this time, there is no specific treatment for retinitis pigmentosa. However, protecting your eye's retina by using UV sunglasses may help delay the start of symptoms.
setting the context
In order to gain a more profound insight into retinitis pigmentosa, we selected an individual with this visual impairment and contextualized their lifestyle.
Further to which user persona was curated.
The Protagonist
Anitha is a 35-year-old woman who has been living with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition, since her mid-teens. As a result, she has been gradually losing her peripheral vision, and now describes her visual experience as "looking through a window." But She has never let her condition hold her back. Instead, she has shown incredible determination, courage, and self-awareness in pursuing her passions and living her life to the fullest. Anitha enjoys hiking, running, and spending time outdoors, even though she is aware of the high risk of accidents that come with limited peripheral vision. She has never let the assumptions of others that she is helpless or incapable get her down, instead using them as motivation to prove them wrong. Anitha is a adaptable person who has faced many challenges due to her condition, but she continues to push forward with her head held high. Her independence is also evident in the fact that she has a guide dog, which allows her to move around freely and pursue her dreams without relying on others. Anitha's positive attitude and determination are an inspiration to those around her.
It upsets her when people approach to help her assuming that she is completely blind. This makes her feel dependent which cripples her confidence to be independent
She struggles to see in very bright or low light
She needs to wear sunglasses during rains
There are a multitude of situations where her scanning technique is not up to the job
Feel of embarrassment ,when she gets in someone’s way which makes her hesitant and slow
By the end of the day, she is physically exhausted and experiences discomfort such as neck pain, headaches, and new bruises
Her eyes and back did not ache
Her stomach was unclenched and she felt stress free
She felt as though she got her sight back
She could free her eyes to admire her surroundings
Sometimes the environment light is exact for her to not use a cane
People are more respectful
Feeling the joy of playing blind and getting people to help her.
She has an “who cares what people think”
She gets free journey in public transportation.
Anitha is a 35 year old female with a genetic eye condition retinitis pigmentosa. She started loosing her peripheral vision in her mid teens. She describes her vision as :
“Imaging looking through a window, with a tiny dot of clarity in the middle. It’s like a cursor in a screen”
A cane that represents partially sighted.
Frustrations
Strengths - After starting to use a cane
Wishes
Perks
Perks
Anitha!
“Some people may assume that I am helpless or incapable ,though I am aware about the high risk of meeting with an accident, I like to prove them wrong by living my life the fullest ”
Age
About
35
Gender
Female
Eye Conditon
Retinitis Pigmentosa
Using our protagonist, we developed a narrative centered around Anitha's encounter while crossing the road at the intersection of Bangalore MG Road. The story is segmented into seven scenes, each detailing the atmosphere, audio effects, and the emotional response experienced in that particular moment
Introduction
Description
Emotion
Sound
Environment
Scene 1
Pre Mission
Scene 2
Pre Mission
Scene 3
Mission
Scene 4
Mission
Scene 5
Post Mission
Scene 6
Post Mission
Scene 7
Anitha is getting down from a shop at MG Road. As she steps out the bright sunlight hits her eyes and makes her vision becomes blur.
She adjusts her sight and continues to walk on the footpath to cross the road.
She checks if the traffic signal has turned red and as a precautionary she also checks if the cars have stopped
She walks along with the crowd on the zebra crossing and halfway through the intersection, she realises that the sunlight is too much for her eyes and decides to walk using her cane (eyes closed). When she takes out her cane to walk ahead, the people around her notice her actions and start calling her “fake”, “playing blind” not knowing that she is partially blind. She does not let this affect her continues to walk
As she walks halfway her cane misses a manhole and she trips over the manhole, at the same moment her cane hits a pedestrian. This makes him angry as he is still under the impression of her being a fake blind
By this she feels embarrassed and apologizes to him and starts walking faster as she gets anxious
As she starts walking faster anxiously, she misses to notice a fruit vendors cart and runs into it, injuring herself. She apologizes to the vendor and makes her way around the cart to the footpath
She folds her cane and keeps it inside her bag and starts walking as the sunlight is perfect for her to get a clear vision.
She is relieved to have crossed the intersection but wishes that there were more solutions for partially blind people
Traffic noise
People talking
Vehicles stopping
Crowd noise around her
Sound of the traffic light turning red
Traffic noise
Crowd noise around her
Crowd calling her fake
Vehicles stopping
Cane touching the car
Crowd calling her fake
Cane touching the road
Cane folding
Body hitting fruit vendor
Her apologies
Walking Sound
Shop
stairs of the shop
road
signal
traffic light
Sunlight
Cane
Road
People
Vehicles
Zebra Crossing
Cane
Road
People
Vehicles
Manhole
Cane
Road
Cane
Footpath
Fruit Vendor
Cart
Footpath
Signal
Vehicles
Red light
perspective
To gain a deeper comprehension of how an individual with tunnel vision perceives their surroundings, I created a pair of glasses and participated in a body-storming activity while wearing them
pilot storyboard
Initially, a storyboard was created from a third-person viewpoint in order to gain a clearer comprehension of how the environment may look, and to determine which assets should be included or excluded
Anitha is walking out of a store down the staircase towards the footpath.
As a precautionary measure, she also checks if the cars have stopped before crossing the road.
Anitha along with other pedestrians starts crossing the road using the zebra crossing.
When she crosses half way, the sunlight again affects her vision making it completely blur.
Once she steps out, the bright sun makes her eye sensitive which makes her vision blur.
She walks on the footpath to reach the road crossing. (A cross intersection) She checks if the color of the traffic signal is red before crossing.
As her vision gets completely blur she decides to user her cane to cross the road.
The pedestrians around assume that she is playing blind and call her names as they initially saw her crossing without using a cane.
However, she does not respond them calling out at her and continues to cross the road.
She reaches one side of the plus intersection and waits to cross to the next road of the plus intersection.
Anitha starts crossing the next road of the plus intersection.
When she crosses half way, her cane misses a manhole.
She trips over the manhole and her cane hits a pedestrian crossing with her. This angers the pedestrian and he again calls out to her for playing blind.
She feels embarrassed and quickly apologizes to the pedestrian. She starts walking faster as she gets anxious.
As she starts walking faster anxiously, she misses to notice a fruit vendors cart and runs into it, injuring herself. She apologizes to the vendor and makes her way around the cart to the footpath.
She folds her cane and keeps it inside her bag and starts walking as the sunlight is perfect for her to get a clear vision.
She is relieved to have crossed the intersection but wishes there were more solutions for partially blind people.
Based on third person view storyboard, first person view storyboard was also curated to understand how the user might view in AR space
Anitha is walking out of a store down the staircase towards the footpath.
Once she steps out, the bright sun makes her eye sensitive which makes her vision blur.
She walks on the footpath to reach the road crossing. (A cross intersection) She checks if the color of the traffic signal is red before crossing.
As a precautionary measure, she also checks if the cars have stopped before crossing the road.
Anitha along with other pedestrians starts crossing the road using the zebra crossing.
When she crosses half way, the sunlight again affects her vision making it completely blur.
final outcome
Anitha is walking out of a store down the staircase towards the footpath.
Once she steps out, the bright sun makes her eye sensitive which makes her vision blur.
She walks on the footpath to reach the road crossing. (A cross intersection) She checks if the color of the traffic signal is red before crossing.
As a precautionary measure, she also checks if the cars have stopped before crossing the road.
Anitha along with other pedestrians starts crossing the road using the zebra crossing.
When she crosses half way, the sunlight again affects her vision making it completely blur.
As her vision gets completely blur she decides to user her cane to cross the road.
The pedestrians around assume that she is playing blind and call her names as they initially saw her crossing without using a cane.
However, she does not respond them calling out at her and continues to cross the road.
She reaches one side of the plus intersection and waits to cross to the next road of the plus intersection.
Anitha starts crossing the next road of the plus intersection.
When she crosses half way, her cane misses a manhole.
Hmph!!
Sorry!!!!!!
Ouch! Watch it
She trips over the manhole and her cane hits a pedestrian crossing with her. This angers the pedestrian and he again calls out to her for playing blind.
As she starts walking faster anxiously, she misses to notice a fruit vendors cart and runs into it, injuring herself. She apologises to vendor and makes her way around the cart to the footpath.
Once she steps out, the bright sun makes her eye sensitive which makes her vision blur.
She folds her cane and keeps it inside her bag and starts walking as the sunlight is perfect for her to get a clear vision.