Avoiding stigmatisationWhat is the role of (interaction) design?

Lars OestreicherDept. of Information Technology

Uppsala University

LarsOe@it.uu.se

(Paintings by Mahmood Azadnia, Mashad, Iran)

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Impairments and

stigmatisation

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Stigmatisation

• Goffman, Erving (1963), Stigma

• A feature that distinguishes people from ”normality”

• Generally a degrading notion

• Generates an exclusion

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• Stigmatisation can be due to:

• The physical signs of impairments

• The social effects of impairments

• The effects from supportive devices

• Social exclusion (rules, categorisation)

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Rules can exclude...Monday, March 11, 13

Bad design too...Monday, March 11, 13

Bad interaction design?Monday, March 11, 13

Three Projects

• POTT - Personal Object Tag Tracking

• Dynamic Maps for the Blind

• Personal Information Centers - smartphones

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A general observation

• Many special solutions make people feel stigmatised

• Maps for blind people

• ”Keyfinders” for people with slight dementia

• Interface solutions for blind people

• Special solutions for physically impaired

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Special solutionMonday, March 11, 13

Avoiding stigmatisation

• Approaching ”normalcy”

• Special designs are made into normal ones

• Adapting special technology

• Making the unnormal normal

• Increasing visibility

• Avoiding bad, stigmatising solutions

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(Interaction) Design

• Simple solutions for everyone

• Avoiding special solutions

• Making the special solutions normal

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Well-known knowledge

• Perception and Information channels

• Physical and Psychological strengths and weaknesses

• Social interaction

• Attitudes and self-image

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Project conclusions

• Personal solutions are vital, adapt interaction to the needs

• Avoid ”special” solutions, make the normal solutions fit

• Use unobtrusive but efficient communication channels

• Move interaction close to the user

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Design for emotional interaction?

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