HKS Office Tactile Navigation Aid
Helen Keller Services's existing fire exit signs only rely on red light illumination. This signage is inaccessible to individuals with blindness or low vision, and makes it very difficult to find the direction or location of the fire exit. We focused on enhancing the accessibility of the office environment. And conduct research and design improved navigation aids for the HKS office.Project Type
Product Design
Organization
Helen Keller Services Center (Brooklyn)
Team
Thao Chi Vu
Nan Yang
Key Problems
Existing exit signs are mounted high on walls and only rely on illumination, making them almost impossible to locate for people with low vision or blindness.
Current arrows on the floor lack clarity, don't provide effective directional or tactile guidance and utilize inaccessible colors (red/green).
Printed office map is inaccessible as it does not provide any tactile elements.
Interview Research
——HKS employee with low vision
——Blind HKS employee
——Blind HKS employee
Design Concept
Durability Concerns & Lack of Signifiers:
The cardboard as a material is fragile and breaks at the slightest touch. Users found the layout to be quite difficult to distinguish by touch. And hard to know the signifier of where they are.
The cardboard as a material is fragile and breaks at the slightest touch. Users found the layout to be quite difficult to distinguish by touch. And hard to know the signifier of where they are.
Initial Exit Sign Prototype & Testing
Preference of Tactile Shapes:
During testing, triangles were the easiest shape to help quickly identify direction. Raised letters are easier to read than concave or engraved letters. The iconography of a person and staircase is hard to identify.
During testing, triangles were the easiest shape to help quickly identify direction. Raised letters are easier to read than concave or engraved letters. The iconography of a person and staircase is hard to identify.
Final Design Process
High Contrast & Simple
Constructed from a combination of high-contrast acrylic and 3D printed elements, to ensure easy identification and round texture by touch. The typeface used in our navigation aids is Helvetica, an ADA-approved font suitable for both visual and tactile reading.
Constructed from a combination of high-contrast acrylic and 3D printed elements, to ensure easy identification and round texture by touch. The typeface used in our navigation aids is Helvetica, an ADA-approved font suitable for both visual and tactile reading.
Laser cutting & 3D Print & Assembly
Final Outcome