The final prototype could possibly be the answer for a more accessible Deliveroo app. It ticked a few boxes in the guidelines set in the Shaping the Design post. There are challenges in the creation of chatbots. As stated by Connolly (n/a), two of the principles of bot design are “use sparingly” and “provide an escape hatch”. After the guerrilla testing the user was satisfied with the experience but the solution proposed might have violated some of the principles. An in-depth user study and a longer period of use of the solution proposed could provide more answers.

The interview with the blind users was an enormous contribution to produce a Problem Statement that guided the development of the project. My initial idea was to design something with huge buttons, drop the use of icons, add the ability to do voice overs, but the interviews with the blind users showed that in a familiar environment they are able to navigate and operate without many hiccups. A website or an app that simply adds the correct label to items can be what separates it from being inaccessible to it being part of the tools used by blind users. I have made this error many times. Being aware of the impact will definitely make me more careful as a professional.

There is a vast material about disabilities, especially blindness. As a professional in the field of User Interface and User Experience, it amazed me that this material is somehow hidden, it does not belong in daily conversations and is often regarded as cosmetic changes. There are signs of changes, and these changes will come from industry leaders before it becomes mainstream.

I always saw Design Languages as the pasteurization of design. A large number of websites received the Bootstrap treatment, and they all look the same. This project made me see the importance of it but not only that; it made me realise that I was already applying it. The Business Analyst in my company today is able to produce screens using elements from previous screens and elements that already exist in the system. The Design Language is not properly documented as Google’s Material Design but it is already somehow embedded in the core of the business. While creating the Deliveroo Design Language, I noticed that Design Languages are like living organisms, they are always evolving, they are the documentation of the growth of a project. And I can see its value now.

At the beginning of this project, the schedule was set for each section. Some items were prepared faster and others took longer than initially thought but overall I was within the timeline proposed.

Acknowledgements

Right before starting this project, I received the news that my father, due to his diabetes, had lost the eyesight in one of his eyes and could probably lose the vision in the second one. This project was in a sense fuelled by a personal situation, to comprehend the disability was to better engage with my father issues. The blind users interviewed gave me peace of mind. There is a long road to independence but it is possible to overcome the problems that arise. Their positivity was inspiring. It fascinated me to see how the brain somehow rewired.

I dedicate this project for Lina and Shigueru, people whom I proudly call mom and dad, for their strength and courage. I also dedicate this project to my wife Marie that tirelessly checked the texts and references. Marie also is the author of the beautiful drawings made for the Storyboard section.

I would like to thank the people interviewed that kindly dedicated their time and patience to answer my questions (and they were a lot) and Stefan Paz, our lecturer, who patiently took his time to review my posts and nudged this project in the right direction. Thanks!

References

Connolly, E. (n.d.). Principles of bot design. Inside Intercom. Retrieved from https://www.intercom.com/blog/principles-bot-design/

Annex

Annex 1 – Semi-Structured Questionnaire
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pVoUYjG2MUkIL1oFZz3hIMXjE2NN-T5_ujy2YfC-dqE/edit?usp=sharing