Journal Entry 13: Design Symposium Lecture 2

This presentation took place on April 8, and was entitled "Design for Behavioral Change and Social Inclusion". The main points of this presentation were that design enables us to access, interact, and use information while reinforcing our sense of community. Design is also capable of supporting us emotionally, empowering us, and extending our capabilities.

Behavioral Change
This design ideal is targeted at modeling and directing positive changes in the behavior or attitudes of the target audiences.

This ideal helps to encourage healthy outlooks in certain audiences. For example, a website was constructed about IBD, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This website was created to help encourage these sick, self-conscious, fatigued patients feel that they are not alone and better about themselves. The progress through the website, visually and contextually, was very supportive of this ideal. It showed an example of similar-to-the-audience people going through a journey and coming out on top. Speaking from personal experience of mystery diagnosis and chronic illness, I know that a website such as this is hugely helpful in getting better, both physically and emotionally.

Social Inclusion
This ideal aims to break down social inclusion barriers and promote inclusiveness for all groups.

The thought process behind this ideal is that a designer must keep in mind everyone when designing a program, web app, or packaging. Functionality, sensory feedback, and usability are huge things to consider when creating. The programs/applications created to support this involved autistic children, sign language, and learning. These programs helped to include autistic children, who most commonly need special education, into a more normal education program. I felt that this example really helped in aiding the children to feel good about themselves and to feel like normal children.

There was one product in the presentation that didn't really sit well with me. The product in question was a camera/blackberry/GPS aimed at tweens with autism that would hypothetically allow them to venture out in public on walks or what have you, alone. The GPS aspect of it would allow the parents to monitor them from afar to make sure they haven't strayed off of their path, as well as provided the path to the child. I am very torn on this item...I think that it supports the meaning of Social Inclusion, but this is just a lost child or a kid-toucher waiting to happen. The presenter was talking about marketing this to 10-12 year olds. I am not a parent, but I was never allowed out by myself this young, nor would I allow my own child to be out alone at this age. I think that while the Social Inclusion aspect fits and allows the child to feel freedom, but it doesn't fit into the "Optimal Solution Zone", which was also a big point of this lecture. This "Zone" is all about whether or not a product is socially appropriate, emotionally appropriate, and if it fits into the physical constraints of the user. I do not feel like this product is socially or emotionally appropriate. There are too many things that could go wrong with a child this young out on their own; depending on the severity of the autism, a child could suffer from sensory overload in the outdoors. Perhaps marketing this device towards an older age group could be the key to its success?

This presentation really got me to thinking. It was definitely the presentation that moved me the most and really convinced me that I'm doing the right thing...Design can really, really help people in so many different ways, and even though my major is in graphic design, I can still project myself in the ways suggested in the presentation. An idea might start small, but with the right direction and the right ideals, it can really help a large population out. My first step in this direction was made by really thinking about functionality and inclusivity in my final project for VC 332: a website about gluten, dairy, and sugar free cookies aimed at those with food allergies and chronic illnesses exacerbated by such ingredients. I also featured a section completely devoted to allergy and disease information and links to their association websites. My website can be viewed here. I think I definitely still have some improvement to make in this area, but I definitely feel like behavioral change and social inclusion is the way to go.