Collective making: Co-designing 3D printed assistive technologies with occupational therapists, designers, and...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Assistive Technology Design

Background:

• Developing effective assistive technology (AT) requires interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Co-design methodologies are crucial for creating user-centered AT solutions.
• Bridging clinical, technical, and individual user needs presents a design challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To co-design writing assistive technology (AT) interventions through participatory workshops.
• To identify key contributions for successful AT co-design.
• To propose a framework for co-designing 3D printed ATs.

Main Methods:

• Conducted four participatory workshops involving occupational therapists (OTs), industrial designers, and an end-user with physical impairments.
• Observed co-design activities and conducted post-workshop reflection sessions.
• Utilized prototyping toolkits and 3D printing for AT development.

Main Results:

• Identified characteristics of clinical-technical-individual contributions essential for usable AT prototypes.
• Successfully co-designed 12 writing AT interventions.
• Developed the CoDEA (Co-designing Assistive Technologies) framework.

Conclusions:

• The CoDEA framework offers a structured approach (co-experimentation, co-development, co-evaluation, co-refinement) for AT co-design.
• Defined specific roles for OTs, designers, and users in each stage of the CoDEA framework.
• Recommends a comprehensive approach integrating 3D printing and designerly thinking for advanced AT solutions.