Connectivity Model for Inclusive UX Design

The case study focuses on a new approach to making User Experience Design research more inclusive by using an approach called the “Connectivity Model” to more easily include persons with autism in the participation process. User Experience (UX) Design is the process of designing a product or service so that a user has maximum satisfaction in using it, through user research, usability testing and iterative design. Using an inclusive design approach is an important step in achieving that goal, but the inclusion of persons with autism in participating group can sometimes be challenging, potentially due to their lack of sufficient cognitive ability or language skills to participate in the research process in meaningful ways. Further, lecturers and teachers may be reluctant to include such persons due to institutional regulations and ethical concerns.  

The “Connectivity Model” avoids the requirement for complex ethical clearance by facilitating observations via recorded videos. It analyses user behaviour looking at social, emotional, behavioural, physical and motivational needs, and considers constraints such as ability in the areas of physical, cognitive, and developmental areas. 

This approach was used as part of the Play•IT project to design an educational game that mediates social interactions between children, and specifically between children who on the autism spectrum and those who are not. The emphasis is on co-creating a solution that addresses the social, communication and behaviour skills needed by children on an equal basis. The approach was considered successful as all designers were able to conduct the UXD research and apply it to their designs.