Short answer

Incorporate co-design processes and multisensory digital information delivery when designing or retrofitting urban features to ensure they are accessible and engaging for the broadest possible audience.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Academia Press eBooks (2023)
Method: Co-design intervention and case study
Evidence: Strong effect

By integrating multisensory information and co-design principles, urban features can be made more accessible and engaging for a diverse range of users. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Academia Press eBooks. Using Co-design intervention and case study, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Incorporate co-design processes and multisensory digital information delivery when designing or retrofitting urban features to ensure they are accessible and engaging for the broadest possible audience.

Study

User-Centred DesignRecentStrong effect

Co-designing urban features with inclusive technology enhances civic participation for all citizens.

By integrating multisensory information and co-design principles, urban features can be made more accessible and engaging for a diverse range of users.

Academia Press eBooks · 2023

Key Findings

01Co-design interventions with inclusive technology can significantly improve accessibility to urban features.
02Multisensory information delivery (visual, audio, sign language) caters to a wider range of user needs.
03The project fostered civic participation by involving diverse volunteer groups in the design process.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing public installations, parks, or street furniture, consider adding QR codes that link to rich media content offering audio descriptions, sign language, and simplified language versions.

Project actions

01When researching user needs, actively seek out diverse groups, including those with disabilities, the elderly, and children.
02Consider how technology can be used to enhance the accessibility and engagement of your design.

Method & Evidence

AimHow can co-design interventions using inclusive technology increase civic participation and engagement with urban features for all citizens, regardless of their abilities?

MethodCo-design intervention and case study

ProcedureThe project involved co-designing accessible signboards with QR codes for urban features. These QR codes linked to online video modules featuring visuals, narration, audio descriptions, and sign language translations, developed with diverse volunteer groups to accommodate various ages and abilities.

ContextUrban planning and public space design

Variables

IV["Inclusion of multisensory information (audio descriptions, sign language)","Co-design process with diverse volunteers"]

DV["Civic participation levels","Engagement with urban features","Accessibility of urban features"]

CV["Type of urban feature (sculpture, tree)","Location of intervention (city center, park)","General design of signboards"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Multidisciplinary approach involving designers, municipalities, and volunteers.
+Focus on practical, co-designed technological interventions.

Limitations

The scope of the intervention was limited to specific urban features and technologies; broader application might require further adaptation.

Reliability & validity

The study's validity is supported by the co-design process involving diverse users and the practical implementation of multisensory features. Reliability could be enhanced by standardizing user feedback collection methods across different intervention sites.

Think critically

To what extent can technology alone solve issues of segregation and inhibited participation, or are deeper societal and policy changes also required?

Design Principles

"Design for inclusivity through collaborative creation and accessible technology."

This approach moves beyond universal design by actively involving diverse user groups in the design process, ensuring that urban environments truly cater to the needs and desires of everyone. It highlights the potential of technology to bridge accessibility gaps and foster a greater sense of belonging and engagement within public spaces.

What This Means for Your Design

Making city features like sculptures or trees more understandable and enjoyable for everyone, including people with disabilities, by adding special signs with QR codes that lead to videos with audio descriptions and sign language.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the importance of user research and inclusive design principles in your project.
2.Use the findings to justify the inclusion of accessibility features in your design proposal.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The HeyKENT project (Altıntepe, Yüksel, & Altay, 2023) demonstrated that co-design interventions utilizing inclusive technology, such as multisensory video modules accessed via QR codes, can significantly enhance civic participation and engagement with urban features for diverse user groups. This approach underscores the importance of actively involving a wide range of users in the design process to create truly accessible and equitable public spaces.

Source

Academia Press eBooks

Cities for all: co-design interventions on urban features by using inclusive technology

journal · 2023

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about co-designing urban features with inclusive technology enhances civic participation for all citizens?: Incorporate co-design processes and multisensory digital information delivery when designing or retrofitting urban features to ensure they are accessible and engaging for the broadest possible audience. Evidence: Academia Press eBooks (2023).
Why does "Co-designing urban features with inclusive technology enhances civic participation for all citizens." matter for design?: This approach moves beyond universal design by actively involving diverse user groups in the design process, ensuring that urban environments truly cater to the needs and desires of everyone. It highlights the potential of technology to bridge accessibility gaps and foster a greater sense of belonging and engagement within public spaces.
How can designers apply this research?: Incorporate co-design processes and multisensory digital information delivery when designing or retrofitting urban features to ensure they are accessible and engaging for the broadest possible audience.
What were the main findings?: Co-design interventions with inclusive technology can significantly improve accessibility to urban features.. Multisensory information delivery (visual, audio, sign language) caters to a wider range of user needs.. The project fostered civic participation by involving diverse volunteer groups in the design process.
What research method was used?: Co-design intervention and case study.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Academia Press eBooks.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing public installations, parks, or street furniture, consider adding QR codes that link to rich media content offering audio descriptions, sign language, and simplified language versions.
What are the limitations?: The study was conducted in specific urban settings in Turkey, and the effectiveness of the technology may vary based on local infrastructure and user digital literacy.