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Enhance videoconferencing for people who stutter
Role
Design Consultant
Software
Figma, Adobe Suite
Outcome
A software extension that enhances nonverbal communication to facilitate smoother conversation and create an inclusive online environment.
The extension has 3 key outcomes:
1. Provide real-time feedback and encouragement to boost speaker confidence and reduce anxiety.
2. Foster effective communication, assisting users to articulate ideas more clearly.
3. Increase awareness to create a supportive and inclusive environment.
Discovery
Context
While videoconferencing has been crucial in the transition toward hybrid work models, its impact on people who stutter (PWS) has not been well understood. Hence, we worked with AImpower to enhance videoconferencing products to create an inclusive and equitable telecommunication community
Challenge Identification
We began the process with literature review to understand stuttering and the impact of videoconferencing. Findings are consolidated and translated into meaningful design directions.
Stuttering
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Negative listener responses, bullying and teasing, rejection
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Perpetuation of negative stereotypes
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Feelings of fear, guilt, shame, helplessness, distress
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Self-stigma, discouraged from participation
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Reduce fear and anxiety for users
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Provide affirmation to encourage spontaneous speech
Video Conferencing
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Reduction in non-verbal cues that solicit emotional support
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Mental stress caused by self-view
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Turn-taking confusion and difficulty in maintaining a turn
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Enhance communication experience by prioritizing the effective delivery of information
In addition, we reached out to the National Stuttering Association, San Francisco branch, observing during their weekly Zoom meetings and interviewing the members. We identified 4 main pain points:
Misunderstanding
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Listeners’ lack of awareness of stuttering may lead them to perceive the speaker as unprepared
Presumed Completion
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Interruptions due to assumptions that the person has finished speaking
Confidence Hurdles
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Lack of confidence stemming from challenges in speaking briefly and concisely
Pronunciations
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Challenges with correctly pronouncing names or specific words
How might we enhance nonverbal communication and turn-taking cues in videoconferencing tools to support and empower PWS?
User Persona
Findings are translated into a user persona to understand our target user group and guide our design decisions.
Product Manager (PWS)
Iris is a dedicated professional, but stuttering has often led to feelings of anxiety and fear during meetings.
Needs
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A supportive work environment where colleagues are aware of her stutter and are patient, allowing her to express her ideas with ease.
Frustrations
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Worried about her stutter affecting her professional image.
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Reluctant to speak up, fearing that her stutter might cause disruptions or misunderstandings.
Marketing Lead
Alan has 10+ years of industry experience. In the post-pandemic hybrid reality, he has to host many video meetings.
Needs
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Foster an inclusive and supportive online environment where everyone can communicate comfortably.
Frustrations
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Virtual meetings often result in disruptions, discouraging PWS from speaking comfortably
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Team members lack knowledge about PWS, undermining the supportive meeting environment
Problem Statement & Design Requirement
Problem and design requirement statements are used to determine the design direction and scope of our project while ensuring alignment between researchers and designers.
#1 Visbility
Problem: Self-view forces PWS to see themselves stutter, creating mental stress which can aggravate stuttering.
Requirement: Users should be able to manipulate the video-conferencing interface to control how they see themselves during video conferences.
#2 Sequentiality
Problem: Videoconferencing makes it hard to recognize speech conclusions, resulting in unintentional disruptions.
Requirement: The design should provide clear turn-taking cues to minimize interruptions.
#3 Disclose & Educate
Problem: Due to the lack of awareness about stuttering, other participants may fail be supportive.
Requirement: The design should provide PWS with the option to disclose their condition and help other participants to create an inclusive environment.
#4 Mitigate Anxiety
Problem: The fear of negative reactions and judgment creates more stress for PWS than others.
Requirement: The design should provide encouragement and positive feedback.
#5 Empowerment
Problem: Conscious of their speech impairment, PWS may not want to announce their struggles to their listeners in a meeting.
Requirement: The design should respect the privacy and dignity of users, allowing a range of disclosure options.
Ideation
Solution Space & Opportunity
Both physical and digital products are analyzed to identify design opportunities. Our analysis reveals a gap in existing products that fail to offer affordances while enabling users to obtain customized recommendations and navigate to the selected locations.
Listener-Centered
Emotional Support
Speech Support
PWS-Centered
Design Direction
Based on our findings, each member developed 20 designs, totaling 100 different product ideas. I led the discussion to narrow our design scope. We grouped the ideas by various features and functions, finally voting to select four key features for CUNook.
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Provide affirmative messages and positive feedback
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Provide speech technique reminders
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Foster a supportive & safe environment
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Encourage turn-taking and reduce interruptions
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Help users articulate their ideas more clearly
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Encourage PWS to comfortably disclose their stuttering
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Educate other meeting participants about stuttering
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Create an environment that normalizes stuttering
Product
4 Key Features
#1
Raise Hand
Minimize pressure to speak in a group setting, providing a more comfortable and accessible way for users to engage in the conversation.
#2
Affirmative Message
Positive Feedback provided to users, providing emotional support and encouragement to boost confidence.
#3
Name Tag
Ease self-introductions in online meetings by reducing the need to verbally introduce oneself.
#4
Disclosure Background
Provide PWS with a platform for comfortable self-disclosure while educating others to foster a supportive environment.
User Testing
We asked 5 participants to complete tasks using the Figma prototype and follow the Think-aloud protocol. The session concluded with a Q&A to obtain additional feedback from the users. There were 3 key insights:
#1 Speech Therapy Techniques
The users suggested incorporating speech techniques into affirmative messages would be helpful.
#2 Personalization
Additional personalization options should be developed to cater to diverse user needs.
#3 Balance Transparency with Discretion
A customizable privacy setting should be offered to support a range of different preferences.
Driving user autonomy to optimize experiences