LET’S START

We have already discussed the importance of designing for the

user, considering human abilities and requirements. But is it
possible to generalize about people and, if not, how do we
address the issue of human diversity in our designs?
People have different abilities and weaknesses; they come
from different backgrounds and cultures; they have different
interests, viewpoints and experiences; they are different ages
and sizes. All of these things have an impact on the way in
which an individual will use a particular computing application
and, indeed, on whether or not they can use it at all.
WHAT IS UNIVERSAL DESIGN

“Universal Design is the design and composition of an

environment so that it can be accessed, understood and
used to the greatest extent possible by all people
regardless of their age, size, ability or disability”
THE PROCESS OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN
• Determine what you are designing using the UD
method
• Specify who the target audience is and the
variety of user profiles that need to be considered
• Get feedback from relevant user profiles
• Apply the universal design principles
• Find solutions to areas where universal design
cannot be applied
• Create a feedback loop from the users of your
design to continually improve and modify
 UNIVERSAL DESIGN
Is it possible to design anything so that anyone can use it – and
if we could, how practical would it be? Wouldn’t the cost be
prohibitive? In reality, we may not be able to design everything to
be accessible to everyone, and we certainly cannot ensure that
everyone has the same experience of using a product, but we
can work toward the aim of universal design and try to provide
an equivalent experience.
Although it may seem like a huge task, universal design does not
have to be complex or costly.
UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE’S
UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE’S

1. Equitable use:
This principle emphasizes designing
interfaces and interactions that are
usable by people with diverse abilities.

2. Flexibility in use:
HCI designs should accommodate a
wide range of individual preferences
and abilities.
UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE’S

3. Simple & intuitive use:

Interfaces should be easy to
understand and use, regardless of
the user's experience or background.

4. Perceptible information:
HCI designs should effectively
communicate necessary information
to users, regardless of their sensory
abilities.
UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE’S

5. Tolerance of error:
Interfaces should minimize the
adverse consequences of
accidental or unintended actions.

6. Low physical effort:

HCI designs should be efficient
and comfortable to use, with
minimal physical exertion required.
UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLE’S

7. Size and space for approach and use:

Interfaces should provide adequate size
and space for users to approach, reach,
manipulate, and use them comfortably.
 MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
A multisensory system refers to an interface or technology that engages
multiple human senses, such as vision, hearing, touch, and sometimes even
smell or taste, to convey information or enhance user experience. By engaging
multiple senses, these systems can provide a richer and more immersive user
experience. For example:
• Sounds: Providing auditory feedback for user actions or events.
• Text and hypertext: Presenting textual information and interactive links.
• Animation and video: Incorporating dynamic visuals to convey information or
enhance engagement.
• Gestures: Allowing users to interact with technology through hand
movements or gestures.
• Vision: Utilizing visual elements such as graphics, icons, and user interfaces.
 MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Usable Senses
The 5 senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell) are used by
us every day each is important on its own together, they
provide a fuller interaction with the natural world .
• Computers rarely offer such a rich interaction
• Can we use all the available senses?
 ideally, yes
 practically – no
• We can use
 sight
 sound
 touch (sometimes)
• We cannot (yet) use
 taste
 smell
MULTI-MODAL MULTI-MEDIA
• Multi-modal systems
use more than one sense (or mode ) of interaction e.g. visual
and aural senses: a text processor may speak the words as well
as echoing them to the screen
• Multi-media systems
use a number of different media to communicate information
e.g. a computer-based teaching system: may use video,
animation, text and still images: different media all using the
visual mode of interaction; may also use sounds, both speech
and non-speech: two more media, now using a different mode
 MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Sound in the interface
Sound is an important contributor to usability. The
addition of audio confirmation reduces errors. Video
games offer further evidence, since experts tend to score
less well when the sound is turned off than when it is on.
There are two types of sound that we could use:
• Speech
• non-speech
MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Speech

We learn speech naturally as children ‘by example’ – by

listening to and mimicking the speech of those around us.
This process seems so effortless that we often do not
appreciate its complex structures, and it is not until we
attempt to learn a new language later in life, or to make
explicit the rules of the one we speak, that the difficulties
inherent in language understanding become apparent. This
complexity makes speech recognition and synthesis by
computer very difficult.
MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Structure of Speech
• phonemes
• 40 of them
• basic atomic units
• sound slightly different depending on the context they are in,
these larger units are ..
• allophones
• all the sounds in the language
• between 120 and 130 of them
• these are formed into..
• morphemes
• smallest unit of language that has meaning.
MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Structure of Speech
• prosody
• alteration in tone and quality
• variations in emphasis, stress, pauses and pitch
• impart more meaning to sentences.
• co-articulation
• the effect of context on the sound
• transforms the phonemes into allophones
• syntax – structure of sentences smallest unit of
language that has meaning.
• semantics – meaning of sentences
 MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Speech Recognition

Speech recognition in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

refers to the technology that enables computers to
interpret and understand spoken language, allowing
users to interact with devices and applications using their
voice. This technology converts spoken words into text or
executable commands, enabling users to perform tasks,
navigate interfaces, and control devices without using
traditional input methods like keyboards or mice.
 MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Speech Recognition Problems
• Background noise interference:
Environmental sounds can disrupt
speech recognition, making it difficult to
distinguish spoken words.
• Variations between individuals:
Each person has a unique voice,
requiring systems to be finely tuned to
individual characteristics for optimal
performance.
• Regional accents:
Strong variations in pronunciation
across regions can disrupt trained
recognition models, leading to
inaccuracies.
• Language differences:
Recognition systems must account for
variations in phonemes and linguistic
structures between different languages,
adding complexity to the recognition
process.
MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Speech Synthesis

Speech synthesis, also known as text-to-speech

(TTS), is the artificial production of human speech from
text. It involves converting written text into spoken
words, allowing computers and other devices to
"speak" the text aloud. Speech synthesis technology
typically involves algorithms and software that analyze
the text and generate corresponding speech sounds
based on linguistic rules and acoustic models.
 MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Speech Synthesis Problems
• Intelligibility: Ensuring that synthetic speech is clear and
understandable, especially for complex or technical
content, can be challenging. Poor pronunciation,
misinterpretation of punctuation, or lack of emphasis on
important words can reduce intelligibility.
• Prosody and Emotion: Capturing the prosodic features of
speech, such as stress, pitch variation, and emotional
expression, is difficult for speech synthesis systems.
Emotionally expressive speech requires sophisticated
algorithms to generate appropriate intonation and
rhythm.
 MULTI-SENSORY SYSTEM
Speech Synthesis Problems
• Language Variability: Adapting synthetic speech to
different languages, dialects, or accents presents
challenges due to variations in pronunciation, grammar,
and linguistic conventions. Creating speech synthesis
systems that accurately reflect regional or cultural
nuances is complex.
• Real-time Processing: Some applications require real-time
speech synthesis, such as voice assistants or navigation
systems. Ensuring fast and responsive generation of
speech without sacrificing quality can be technically
challenging.