Tactile Playgrounds

Design Beyond Vision intends to explore the process of making a well-crafted prototype for designers and the visually impaired. The long-term goal of this research phase is to develop an assistive design toolkit for designers who are designing for visually impaired individuals with glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

The premise of this research stems from design in today's society being viewed as a pathway to address intricate, non-linear problems that can’t be resolved solely through technological or scientific approaches alone. While these technologies aim to meet human needs, the main challenge lies in creating design solutions that truly resonate with the user. Designers must provide an understanding of people’s needs and the surrounding space to help them translate the needs into solutions.