Customer Needs Extraction Using Disability Simulation for Purposes of Inclusive Design

Abstract

Current product design methodologies are not conducive to creating inclusive products (products that meet the needs of persons with and without disabilities). In this paper, empathic design principles and modular product design strategies are explored as part of a novel approach to inclusive design. A disability simulation suit is used to test if empathically derived customer needs from persons without disabilities can serve as a proxy for the customer needs of persons with disabilities. This data collection methodology both increases the safety and ease by which customer needs can be gathered and gives designers an empathic design experience with the products they develop. This paper presents the techniques involved in and the preliminary data regarding the collection of customer needs on known product pairs. These product pairs perform the same function, but one is designed inclusively and one is not. Prior work on module identification from customer need statements is extended to specifically address the design of inclusive products. As part of larger research, this data will be used to make generalizations about the customer needs for inclusive products within the context of modular product design to create inclusive design guidelines, which will reduce the effort and expense involved in creating inclusively designed products.