Eating, Design and Disability Workshop
A series of workshops run in conjunction with Reach out RCA to teach GCSE students design methodology and the value of people centered design. The workshop was structured to highlight three essential elements in the design process; Identifying Problems, Coming up with solutions and Presenting the problems and solutions in a clear convincing manor.
Students where divided into three groups, each group focusing on a particular disability which makes it more difficult to eat. Group one was given glasses which simulated macular degeneration. Group two was given a vibrating unit to simulate tremor common in Parkinson's disease. Group three was asked to tape two penny pieces to each others knuckles to represent the bulking and reduced motor movement of osteoarthritis.
The students where then served breakfast cereals and asked to eat creating a platform to draw out the particular difficulties of each disability and an opportunity to map potential design solutions.
They then used their talents to come up with rough models to demonstrate their ideas and presented their findings to the rest of the group.
Breaking into groups: Numbers drawn from hat
Group 1: Macular degeneration sim-glasses
Group 1: Map out problems
Group 1: Make prototypes
Group 1: Present
Group 2: Fit tremor simulator
Group 2: Eating with tremor simulator
Group 2: Planning Prototypes
Group 2: Demonstrating eating aid
Group 3: Simulate austeoarthitis
Group 3: Eating with simulation
Group 3: Pick out materials
Group 3: prototyping