China's blind given a helping hand through design research

Xiao Huang is one of the thousands of young people from across China who moves to Shanghai each year, drawn by the promise of a new start.

But, like all newcomers to the sprawling metropolis, the 24-year-old soon had to face up to the harsh realities of the city's high costs, fast pace lifestyle and cut-throat competition for work from the constant influx of newcomers.

However, for Xiao Huang - who works as a masseur - the challenge is far greater than that faced by the majority of young hopefuls who arrive in the city. He is one of the city's more than 60,000 blind residents.

“I came to Shanghai four years ago, but most of the city is still unfamiliar to me. It's so easy to get lost, and I don't like to trouble my friends too much for help, so other than traveling between my work and my dormitory, I don’t explore many other places,” he says.

Even a trip to the supermarket to stock up on essentials is a source of frustration. “I often have to ask the staff for help finding what I want, but not all of them are patient enough to take the time to show me where the different sections are, or to help me find the exact product I want. It can be a nightmare.”

Although awareness of the difficulties faced by the blind and people with other disabilities is growing in China, thanks in part to 2008's Paralympics and the education efforts of government bodies and NGOs, there is still a long way to go.

Xiao Han, 32, is an NGO volunteer who has been blind since she was 20. She is one of the small, but growing, numbers of people to benefit from the recent introduction of guide dogs to China. However, despite changes to the law to increase access for guide dogs in the city, she still encounters obstacles in her attempt to lead a life unimpeded by her blindness.

“When trying to use the subway, I am often turned back by the staff, who say that it is too dangerous to allow a dog on the trains. This kind of incident shows a general lack of understanding of the unique problems faced by the blind,” she says.

Despite the difficulties they face, both Huang and Han are fiercely independent, preferring to rely on themselves rather than others. For each, technology plays an important role in enabling them to maintain their dignity and live full lives.

Xiao Han, who majored in literature at university, uses a computer with audio screen-reading software to enjoy e-books, which she downloads from the Internet. She also uses the computer and her mobile phone to keep in touch with friends and family.

For Xiao Huang, his mobile phone is an important link between his girlfriend and him, who also works as a blind masseuse. The two each work long hours to save up enough money to buy their own house back in Huang's home town. As a result their relationship is maintained by frequent calls and texts in their spare moments as they have few opportunities to spend time together.

Despite the huge benefits mobile phones bring to blind people like Han and Huang, the fact remains that most mobile handsets have been designed with the sighted in mind, limiting their value.

That was until China Telecom received a request from the Disabled People's Association (DPA) in China to provide one million bespoke mobile phones along with mobile services, tailored specifically to the needs of its members.

Keen to modernize its company culture, which in the past had been slow to respond to the needs and desires of customers following years of government protection, China Telecom saw the project as a unique opportunity to develop a revolutionary new product for a long-neglected customer group. The project would also be an ideal testing ground for the new customer-focused approach China Telecom is aiming for.

The operator set out to learn as much as it could about the needs of blind phone users. It enlisted the help of CBi China Bridge, a Shanghai-based design strategy firm with a long track record in aiding clients develop successful designs based on in-depth research and the understanding of target users. CBi's expertise in helping clients implement organization-wide change to become more efficient meant the cooperation would have a far wider effect on China Telecom's overall future strategy.

By working closely with blind mobile phone users such as Han and Huang, the research team learned just how large a role mobile phones play in the lives of the blind. Firstly, mobile phones often served as a personal assistant to many blind users, helping them to access information services, order goods and get directions. Mobile phones were also a major means of combating isolation and loneliness, allowing blind users to maintain close contact with family and friends, and access entertainment such as audiobooks and music. The research team also extended their observations to those around the primary users, such as friends, relatives and caregivers.

While the research produced a number of insights, there was one common factor that was instrumental in reaching the final design, according to CBi's president, Cathy Huang.

“The key discovery we made during the case studies was how blind people make use of mental maps, which allow them to complete complex tasks without the need for outside assistance,” said Cathy. “The blind people we spoke to separated their tasks into step-by-step actions, the sequence of which were tied to key orientation points. As long as they could start from an orientation point, they would be able to complete the task without help from others.”

One example is the interviewee who arranged the contents of his refrigerator in such a way as to always be able to find what he needed. He then demonstrated to the bemused researchers how he applied the same system to the files on his computer.

“This discovery inspired the look, feel and underlying logic of the handset we went on to design,” said Cathy.

The final design - named Jiu Gong Mobile - is the product of extensive research and cooperation between China Telecom and CBi. It takes the principle of Chinese philosophy called Jiu Gong and applies it to what the research team learned about mind-maps and orientation points. As with ancient cities, the game of Go and even sudoku puzzles - all have their roots in Jiu Gong. The phone uses a three-by-three square grid. The central square provides the all-important point of orientation, from which every function of the phone can be reached without the need of a screen.

As well as featuring tactile buttons that make it easy for the user to operate the keypad, the phone also has an advanced touch-sensitive panel which allows users to control a voice output, which converts text into audio.

Recognizing that although fiercely independent there will be times blind users need help, China Telecom took advantage of its cutting-edge 3G network. When in need of directions or help finding an item, users can send real-time footage from the phone’s camera to their friends, who can then guide them.

Aside from the enthusiastic feedback from focus groups, the huge success of the project was confirmed when it won the 2009 China Red Star Design Award. It is the only national design award that aims to encourage domestic enterprises' independent innovation, help create their own branding and improve their products' competitiveness in the international market.

The award win also provided a high-profile success story that China Telecom's leadership could use to demonstrate the value of design within the company. With the success of the Jiu Gong Mobile project as a rallying point, China Telecom established a dedicated User-centered Innovation Team and allocated more resources to innovation and design. The subject of design is now never far from the lips of the company's leaders.

“The success of the project has given China Telecom a greater confidence to forge ahead with more innovative work, and has shown that the old image of a large, state-controlled behemoth without the ability to react to modern, design-lead marketplace is a thing of the past. CBi looks forward to continuing its work with China Telecom on other cutting-edge projects in the future,” said Cathy Huang.

This article represents an introduction to this project. We will continue to report on its effect on people's lives and business.