RSA: Uplift

Brief

Disabled. Not a dirty word. The Oxford dictionary defines it as “a person who has a physical or mental condition that limits their movements, senses or activities” ONS reports that in 2021, there was 10.4 million disabled people (~18% of our population). One of the largest minority groups, and the only one which anyone can join at any time, no matter their background. Disabled people are more susceptible to increased rates of mental health issues and loneliness.

In an attempt to overcome these issues I have developed an online community for disabled people and their advocates to be able to come, hang out, find resources and develop friendships. Seeing the success of the online community that I have already set up, I decided to create it into an app. Based off the information that I found from my primary research of the case study section of this project, I found that most people would prefer an app. The brief centres around the idea of creating caring cultures for disabled people as part of the 2024 RSA competition.

Research

Brainstorming Inital Ideas

Creative Journey

As outlined in the initial ideas, I have split up the app into 3 different sections: support, learn and access. These include features such as support networks, online learning led by disabled people and partnerships with disability charities. The app is designed to be a one stop shop for everything disability and accessibility related. Following feedback from my class mates during the initial presentation, I moved the project away from solely focusing on disabled people, and have expanded it to cater for the wider public. By having the app designed for everyone including disabled people, by disabled people, we can ensure that the information being shared is accurate as well as personal. The hope is that the long-term use of this app will lead to in person meet-ups, changes within places of decision making and reduced rates of loneliness within the disability community.

To facilitate accessibility features I have also created 3 different colourways, brightness adjuster, font selector, text size editor as well as the option to add in background music. As accessibility isn’t a one size fits all system, it was imperative to ensure that these features are included. The colour choices I have gone with feature high contrast colours as well as textures to them to help differentiate for visually impaired people.

Website Wireframe

Finished Prototype

Reflection

Due to technical issues and changing RSA brief ideas half way through the project, I haven't had the amount of time that I would have liked to develop this app. However I am hoping to continue working on this project alongside my other work for the RSA submission deadline in the spring. Despite the issues faced, I am proud of the work that I have managed to produced for this and I can tell a massive increase in my confidence and skills when working within Figma. Above you can see my working prototype which is an iPhone mock-up to prove that it is designed for mobile optimization.

See all year 2 work