Vision Australia – Digital Heart

A digital platform designed to address the educational gaps faced by children and young people who are blind or have low vision.

Executive Summary

Overview

Vision Australia’s Digital Heart initiative is a digital platform designed to address the educational gaps faced by children and young people who are blind or have low vision. The platform aims to provide tailored resources and support, empowering these individuals to achieve their full potential.

As a Senior UX Designer, my role involved defining strategy, conducting user research, developing user flows, assisting with learning material creation, creating wireframes and prototypes, and conducting usability testing.

The Challenge

Children and young people who are blind or have low vision often encounter significant challenges within the mainstream education system. These challenges include; a lack of accessible learning materials, insufficient tailored support from educators, difficulties in accessing and engaging with digital learning tools and social isolation due to exclusion from certain activities

Business Goals

Vision Australia aimed to create a platform that would; provide accessible and engaging educational resources, enhance learning outcomes for children and young people with vision impairment, support educators and caregivers in delivering effective instruction and promote inclusivity and independence.

Accomplishments 

Fostering Community and Support Through Design

Beyond core learning functionalities, the project successfully integrated features designed to build a supportive ecosystem. This included the creation of a parent community for knowledge sharing and support, as well as a community forum within the platform itself. Additionally, the platform provides dedicated support for educators and caregivers (lesson plans, accessibility guidelines, progress tracking). This focus on holistic support addresses the social isolation identified in research and promotes greater inclusivity and independence for users.

Robust Human-Centered Design and Iterative Process

A significant accomplishment was the meticulous application of a multi-pronged human-centered design approach. This involved extensive user research with diverse participants, comprehensive discovery, iterative prototyping, and multiple rounds of usability testing. This rigorous process ensured the platform was intuitive, highly usable, and truly met the complex accessibility and educational needs of its target users, leading to observed outcomes like increased student engagement and improved access.

Successful Development and Pilot of a Comprehensive, Accessible Digital Learning Platform

The project successfully conceived, designed, and implemented the Digital Heart platform. This platform directly addresses the critical educational gaps for children and young people with vision impairment by providing accessible learning resources, interactive activities, and personalised learning paths. This achievement signifies the successful translation of user needs into a tangible and impactful digital product, and started Vision Australia’s digital transformation.

1. Discovery & Research

Strategy:

Working with our lead Allied Service Professionals, the CEO, stakeholders in Vision Australia and parents of children, we created a multi pronged strategy which would work with the platform to assist our users. The first initiative was to create a parent community for a range of reasons including; knowledge sharing, direct contact with SMEs as well as an appropriate place for parents to help and guide each other during their experiences.

Research Goals:

The primary research goals were to:

  • Understand the specific needs and challenges of children and young people with vision impairment in an educational setting.
  • Identify the barriers they face when accessing and using digital learning tools.
  • Gather insights from parents and guardians on how they support their children’s education.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of existing educational resources and identify areas for improvement.

Research Methods

  • User Interviews: Conducted in-depth interviews with 6 children (aged 7-17) with varying degrees of vision impairment, and their parents or guardians. The interviews explored their experiences with education, technology, and learning resources.
  • Usability Testing: Evaluated existing digital learning platforms and tools used by the participants to identify usability issues and accessibility barriers.
  • Literature Review: Reviewed academic research and reports on the educational needs of students with vision impairment.
  • Research Findings: Key findings from the research included: Varied Needs: Each child had unique needs and preferences depending on their age, level of vision impairment, and learning style.
  • Accessibility Barriers: Many existing digital learning tools were not fully accessible, presenting challenges with navigation, screen reader compatibility, and alternative text descriptions.
  • Importance of Support: Parents and guardians play a crucial role in supporting their children’s education, often spending significant time adapting materials and providing assistance.
  • Engagement: Children were more engaged with interactive and multisensory learning experiences.
  • Desire for Independence: Children expressed a strong desire for independence and the ability to learn and complete tasks without constant assistance.

2. Design Process

Ideation:

Brainstorming sessions were conducted with the project team, including educators, accessibility experts, and technologists, to generate ideas for platform features and design solutions.

Information Architecture: A site map and user flows were created to structure the platform’s content and ensure intuitive navigation.

Wire-framing: Low-fidelity and high-fidelity wireframes were developed to visualise the layout and functionality of the platform’s key screens, with a focus on accessibility and simplicity.

Prototyping: Interactive prototypes were created using Figma to simulate the user experience and test design concepts.

Visual Design: The visual design incorporated Vision Australia’s brand guidelines while prioritising accessibility. This included:

  • High contrast colour schemes
  • Clear and legible typography
  • Use of icons and visual cues
  • Compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technologies
  • Interactive gamification, including animations and quizzes.

3. Testing and Iteration

Usability Testing:

The prototypes were tested with 6 children with vision impairment and their parents/guardians. The testing sessions focused on evaluating:

  • Ease of navigation
  • Clarity of content
  • Effectiveness of interactive elements
  • Accessibility of the platform

Iteration:

Based on the usability testing feedback, the designs were iterated to address identified issues. This included:

  • Simplifying the navigation structure
  • Improving the clarity and consistency of language
  • Enhancing the accessibility of interactive elements
  • Providing more customisation options for users

4. The Solution

Final Design:

The final design of the Digital Heart platform includes the following key features:

  • Accessible Learning Resources: A library of educational materials tailored to different age groups and learning levels, including audio descriptions, braille support, and adjustable font sizes.
  • Interactive Activities: Engaging activities and games that promote learning through multi-sensory experiences.
  • Personalised Learning Paths: Customised learning paths based on each child’s individual needs and progress.
  • Support for Educators and Caregivers: Resources and tools for educators and caregivers to support children’s learning, including lesson plans, accessibility guidelines, and progress tracking.
  • Community Forum: A platform for children, parents, and educators to connect, share experiences, and access peer support.

How the Solution Solved the Problem:

The Digital Heart platform addresses the identified problems by:

  • Providing accessible learning materials that cater to the diverse needs of students with vision impairment.
  • Offering engaging and interactive activities that enhance learning and motivation.
  • Empowering students to learn independently and at their own pace.
  • Supporting educators and caregivers with the resources and tools they need to provide effective instruction.
  • Creating a sense of community and belonging for students and their families.

4. Results and Impact

Outcomes: The Digital Heart platform has been well-received by children, parents, and educators. Initial feedback indicates:

  • Increased student engagement and motivation
  • Improved access to learning resources
  • Greater independence in learning
  • Enhanced collaboration between parents, educators, and students

Metrics: Specific metrics to measure the platform’s success include:

  • Number of registered users
  • Frequency of platform usage
  • User satisfaction ratings
  • Improvements in student learning outcomes (measured through assessments and feedback from educators)

4. Lessons Learned

Some of the lessons I and the organisation learned through this MVP

  • The importance of conducting thorough user research with diverse participants to understand their specific needs and challenges.
  • The need to prioritise accessibility in every stage of the design process.
  • The value of collaboration between designers, educators, and technologists in creating effective educational solutions.
  • The iterative nature of UX design and the importance of incorporating user feedback throughout the process.
  • The role strategy and lateral thinking can influence in the ideation process.