Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm new to this forum so Hello! I'm Katie and I'm a MSc Product Design student based in Dundee, Scotland.
I'm currently working on a project researching autism, the area I'm looking at specifically is "processing time."
This is based on research that people with autism often need longer to process information, especially in demanding social situations.
I've designed a prototype "buffering badge."
The idea behind this is to make this process visible, therefore making 'processing time' something that can be tangible to an audience.
At the moment this is only a prototype, ideally I would love to make this smaller and more wearer friendly.
This version requires the user to press it, and the buffering displays for 10-12 seconds.
I would love for some feedback on this idea, would this be something that you could see being useful in social situations?
If even just to start a conversation around processing time and breaking the ice.
I realise this is not something that would work the same way for everyone, especially children who may want to use it more like a toy.
But any feedback would be appreciated. For example would a noise sensor be a better trigger, removing the user from pressing a button and making the badge work on its own in busy crowds/multiple voices in a conversation? Or would something more subtle like a badge that has the logo but doesn't have lights/electronics be something that might be more likely to be worn? In which case, how would users feel about using the buffering logo as a symbol that's linked to autism awareness?
Please let me know!
I should also mention, this is not research work! Nothing commented here is for anything other than an open discussion. I have a volunteer group to trial these once they are refined, I'm not looking for "data," and the stage that I am at comes from my research thus far. I just don't want this to exist only in an academic bubble. I think this is worthwhile sharing and having a conversation about.
All best wishes,
Katie.
There is already an autism logo - the coloured jigsaw pieces that are used in a lot of places such the autism awareness ribbon.
One issue might be that it draws attention to people who don't handle attention well. It is likely to generate questions that a person with autism may not like, or be able, to answer comfortably.
Hello recombinantsocks! Just incase there was any miscommunications, I wasn't implying that this or any other logo should replace existing autism awareness ribbons/symbols. But rather act in addition to these. And thank you for your feedback! I agree the lights/flashing may draw unwanted attention and cause distress. What do you think about the logo just as a static pin badge? That would draw less attention than lights perhaps. Or do you dislike the buffering metaphor itself?