Overview
Objective: Modify a popular board game for a low-vision user
Project Type: Personal, Case Study
Length: Ongoing
Methods: Usability testing, unstructured interview, accessibility evaluation
Background
Settlers of Catan is one of my favorite board games. I wanted to share it with my mom, but she is legally blind and the game is highly visual. Starting with the original game, I made heavy modifications to create a tactile experience.
Challenges
Geography
My mom and I live in different states. She has some ability to use technology, but common remote study tools either aren’t accessible or she isn’t able to set up or learn independently. The majority of the project must be completed over phone or email.
Cost
For now, this is a single user product, but I want the modifications to be replicable in both sourcing and cost. This limits the materials I can use.
Time
Sourcing low cost modifications often means more labor to customize. A large portion of the time devoted to this project is closer to a craft project than standard product design. I only see my mom every few months so rapid iteration isn’t an option for this project. This requires me to carefully organize the design and testing phases of the project.
Accessibility Specifications
- Low vision
- Near sightedness
- Light Sensitivity
- Color blindness
- Blind spots
- Central vision loss
- Disability related anxiety
My mom’s eye condition causes low vision putting her solidly in the legally blind category (sub 20/200 vision). Additionally, her remaining vision is limited to things within a few feet of her. She also struggles with certain lighting conditions and shade contrast is difficult for her to distinguish. Many colors are indistinguishable to her such as orange and blue. Surprisingly, she can tell orange and red apart though. She also has complete blind spots scattering her central vision. Lastly, she is very self conscious about slowing other people down because of her disability. She worries that people think she’s “a total spazz” if she knocks over something she can’t see.
My cognitive science degree included a perception course, which taught about the intricacies of vision and visual impairment. Additionally, I’m also armed with 25+ years of experience observing my user navigate countless tasks in a not so accessible world.
Process
I started with several phone calls to my mom to get a better idea of how her vision limits her from her own perspective. We discussed which colors are hardest for her to distinguish and what stops her from enjoying board games.
Next, I researched accessible products that are currently on the market as well as custom modifications other board game enthusiasts have made. I even found a board game specifically designed to be played by the blind.
I started brainstorming based on my mom’s feedback, my understanding of perception, and the market research I did. I made a list of materials and searched local craft and dollar stores.
With cost being a motivator, most of my first round of materials was sourced from Dollar Tree. I tested the suitability of the materials for each component and found several issues. For example, the rocks I bought were too heavy to be practical. I made a trip to a craft store for pricier, but more effective materials.
My goal was to replace all the visual elements with tactile ones. People with vision loss often compensate by having better spacial memory since they can’t rely on the cognitive offloading that vision provides.
Modifications
- Replace cards with tokens representing each type of card. Each players is given a small bag to keep tokens hidden from other players.
- Anchor all moveable pieces to board with velcro so players can feel around the board without risk of moving pieces by accident
- Use large dice with raised dots so player can feel what they rolled
- Alter colors and add texture to player pieces of difficult to distinguish colors.
- Add space between board game tiles to aid in differentiation
- Texture added to make game tiles easy to distinguish