Generation Game: Making Wi-fi Devices More Inclusive

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This paper outlines work done in applying Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) technology in a more inclusive and ubiquitous manner enabling access for a wider section of society. The case study is from the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre’s (HHRC) Research Associates Programme where new Royal College of Art (RCA) graduates collaborate with industry partners on design research projects. Each project adopts an inclusive design approach that can be practically implemented within a ‘real world’ business context. The paper discusses work done with industry partner Research In Motion, inventor of the BlackBerry™ device. Central to the process was the identification of real user needs, and a key finding of the research was to look at people in context, rather than isolating them as individuals. Older users, the main drivers for the project, were not looked at in isolation, but as part of a wider continuum as every older individual has a context and a community they interact with. The resultant focus of the research was on the multi-generational family unit which, in turn, gave a more inspired, informed and inclusively designed outcome.

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