Hello, Yixin is here! 👋🏻
INCLUSIVE DESIGN
for 17EdTech
The first K-12 product focus on dyslexia users in China
OVERVIEW
This was an Accessibility UX Research & Design Consulting Project for client 17EdTech (NASDAQ: YQ) in 2021. A product under 17EdTech for elementary school students wanted to be revolutionized. The goal of the project was to conduct research for student users with color blindness or dyslexia and older teacher users, and find solutions to create a more user-friendly and interactive interface. As the first K-12 product in China focus on dyslexia area, the project also received a research grant from the Ministry of Education.
My responsibilities as a design consultant on this project included participating in UX research, generating the Inclusive Design Guidelines based on product attributes for the client's internal design reference, and proposing product redesign solution.
*Project details cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality
DURATION
Jun 2021 - Aug 2021
2 months
TEAM
UX Research
Consulting Group at ARA
MY ROLE
Design Consultant
METHODS
Expert Interview
User Interview
Literature Review
Usability Testing
Heuristic Evaluation
01/ OPPORTUNITY
The prevalence of dyslexia in mainland China is about 11%, with about 10 million elementary school students suffering from dyslexia. However, the public awareness of dyslexia is less than 1%. Due to the insidious nature of dyslexia, the vast majority of people with dyslexia are not identified. Especially at the elementary school level, where students with learning disabilities are often mistakenly attributed to other factors. Though the project was not designed to treat dyslexia, a more accessible interface can help users read text and understand its meaning more easily.
Older users are more likely to encounter difficulties in using the product than younger users. The project aimed to improve the experience of elderly users through product interface improvement (on teacher-end).
What are the challenges?
Due to user privacy protection, direct interviews with dyslexic users were not feasible. Therefore, we had to rely on other research methods to gather information to support our design solution. As the pioneering K-12 product catering to dyslexic users in China, we were unable to find similar products for comparison. Moreover, most of the existing dyslexia studies focus on English-speaking learners, and there was a lack of Chinese-language resources available. Additionally, we must be mindful of the significant linguistic differences between English and Chinese when referencing studies that focus on English-speaking learners.
02/ SOLUTIONS
How to do UX research when not able to reach users?
Research methods used in this project included:
Survey: We launched a dyslexia assessment survey available to users via the App (not for any medical diagnostic purposes, and the results only suggest a propensity for dyslexia). Since the users on the student-end were elementary school students, the survey was requested to be filled out by the students' parents based on their observations of their children. The survey eventually yielded 3000+ responses.
Quantitative Analysis: By analyzing more than 3,000 responses, we obtained demographic data on users with a higher likelihood of dyslexia, as well as insight into their most common reading and writing challenges, such as skipping words and lines while reading. These data provided valuable information on user pain points, which we used to guide our design solutions for the product.
Expert Interview: To gain a better understanding of the common learning challenges faced by dyslexic children, the causes, and current training methods, we conducted interviews with experts in the field of dyslexia. Drawing from these training methods, we explored potential design solutions that could be adapted for use in our product.
Usability Testing: We invited older teachers for usability tests to observe how they interact with the product.
03/ REFLECTION
What did I learn?
Even in cases where users cannot be reached, there are still other research methods for defining user pain points and needs. In this project, we screened users who might be interested in dyslexia through assessment tests on the product, as they are likely to experience reading and writing challenges. By analyzing the survey responses of these users, we were able to identify their pain points and demographic profile.
Even users who do not have dyslexia may experience some reading and writing problems. The project was not redesigned only for users with dyslexia. A good design is one that benefits all user groups, and this is the core of inclusive design. For instance, when we design for dyslexic users, we also make it easier for all users to read the text. Similarly, when we design for color-blind and visual-impaired users, high contrast visual design benefit all users in distinguishing different elements.