ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
Art Centre Melbourne
Accessible Music Program
Make musical interfaces work for kids with disabilities.
Music therapists had a sense that their equipment, while engaging, limited kids' creative potential.
They approached me to test this and find out what their interfaces and tools need for kids who're disabled to express themselves fully.
They approached me to test this and find out what their interfaces and tools need for kids who're disabled to express themselves fully.
The research revealed the nuanced and varied ways kids express themselves through gesture, movement, and voice.
These insights generated new ways to combine sound, light, haptics, movement, and surfaces so disabled kids can participate fully in the program.
These insights generated new ways to combine sound, light, haptics, movement, and surfaces so disabled kids can participate fully in the program.
UX research
Design & Prototyping
Sound design
ACM - Music therapists
Dyani Kelly
Maker
Andrew Cherry
Arduino programming
User research
Alex is non-verbal; she doesn't use words to communicate.
She doesn't know what to do when she's shown a microphone. Its color and shape make it look like a stick or ice cream, so she often bites and licks it.
Her dad finds it hard to show her what to do because microphones can be intimidating.
She doesn't know what to do when she's shown a microphone. Its color and shape make it look like a stick or ice cream, so she often bites and licks it.
Her dad finds it hard to show her what to do because microphones can be intimidating.
Meet Joshua – a curious and energetic 4-year old who has autism.
He loves exploring things that have texture and quickly loses interest if he doesn't get enough sensory feedback.
Josh struggles to produce sounds from instruments because he plays very lightly. This means he can't be part of the group.
He loves exploring things that have texture and quickly loses interest if he doesn't get enough sensory feedback.
Josh struggles to produce sounds from instruments because he plays very lightly. This means he can't be part of the group.
Natalie loves being independent and trying new things.
She has a small range of movement.
It's hard for her to do what she wants because many tools made for kids with disabilities assume everyone makes large movements. And rely on someone being there to help.
She has a small range of movement.
It's hard for her to do what she wants because many tools made for kids with disabilities assume everyone makes large movements. And rely on someone being there to help.
Chloe is a bright, energetic 8-year-old. She's a visual learner who loves creating music.
Like many children, she loves expressing herself through movement.
Many accessible instruments can't translate movement into meaningful music.
Like many children, she loves expressing herself through movement.
Many accessible instruments can't translate movement into meaningful music.
We're still making assumptions about disability that lead to designs that don't work and reinforce stereotypes that disability limits creativity.
1
Gesture
People use movement and gesture in personal, nuanced, and sophisticated ways, including big and small presses, taps, thumps, slides, and scratches.
2
Gesture recognition
Many tools won't recognize and translate these different gestures into meaningful, expressive music.
3
Adaptable interfaces
Changing an instrument or interface's position improves accessibility, interaction, and expression. However, many tools can't be positioned where they're the most comfortable and accessible.
4
Sensory feedback
Sophisticated devices like iPads don't give enough tactile and sensory feedback, making them hard to use and explore.
Observing music therapy sessions showed us how the children instinctually used interfaces and instruments. And, crucially, the different techniques they'd try to make interfaces work for them.
The way people respond to traditional instruments' sonic and material properties tells us how to design expressive music interfaces.
Design . Prototype . Test
Designs have to serve the kids' emotional needs. Their motivation. Their curiosity. Their humor. The things kids love to do.
1
Adaptive
The design should adapt to physical & sensory needs.
2
Fun
Instruments should be fun and easy for parents and carers to manipulate so they can help kids use them.
3
Instructive
Shape and surfaces should be instructive and suggest affordance.
4
Translate intent
The software should scale so sonic, and sensory responses reflect the user's intent.
5
Stories
Sounds should be rich, have character, and tell a story.
6
Sonic affordance
Sounds should reflect the interface's mental model, gestures, and affordance.
Prototype sketches and designs.
Results
Results — Prototypes and user testing.
Speaking, workshops, press
World Music Therapy Congress
Sound Design — Designing Interactive Music Interfaces for Disabilities
Microsoft — The Garage
Curiosity, Empathy & Meaningfulness in Human Centred Sound Design Workshop
Special World: for special education teachers, therapists, and schools everywhere
Note Perfect
Contact
Use sound and interaction to build products everyone can use. Equally.
Marcel de Bie