Designing for Arthritis
Essential Idea:
Inclusive design strategies can benefit a wide range of users
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Examples of some of the daily challenges a user might face, and some of the solutions they use
How does arthritis affect people?
Arthritis has a direct impact on the comfort and quality of daily life of people with disease. This article by Very Well Health highlights some of the key areas of daily life that can be impacted. These include:
Walking
Kneeling
Climbing stairs
Grooming: Shaving, brushing teeth, combing or styling hair
Hygiene: Washing and drying the body, going to the toilet, etc.
Gripping: Using the hand and fingers to open, close, or hold things such as doors, pens, bags, knives and spoons, buttons, etc.
Eating: Cutting and serving food, preparing food,
Cleaning and housework: washing floors, cleaning the dishes, cleaning the house, folding laundry
Ability to reach: being able to reach over the head and grab or carry an object.
Social and religious activities: Sufferers may choose to skip these activities due to physical pain
Arthritis also has economic impacts at the personal and national level. The infographic above highlights some of these impacts in Australia.
Inclusive Design approaches to designing for arthritis
Inclusive design is about designing universally accessible products for all users regardless of age, physical, sensory, perceptual functioning levels (disability).
Inclusive design is defined by a design that is:
Welcoming to everyone: Any user, regardless of age, physical ability, etc., can use the design
Responsive to people's needs: it solves a genuine need for users
Intuitive to use: The function and use of the design is immediately apparent. No manual or detailed instructions are required in in order to understand how to use it.
Flexible: Can be used in different ways or by different users to accomplish the goal.
Convenient: Can be used without extra effort, energy, cost, or time.
They (arthritis sufferers) want products that look and feel good, and crucially, that don’t make them feel labelled as disabled or different.
Helen Hurman, Arthritis Research UK
This quote highlights one of the key goals of inclusive design - that the design does not draw attention to the disability. For designers, this means considering how a design looks, with the goal of making it as accessible and appealing to a broad range of users.
Some other case studies that are relevant to inclusive design and designing for arthritis include:
This video reviews and discusses products that have been designed users with arthritis
Questions and Reflection
Outline the anthropometric measurements that might be relevant for designing a handheld kitchen tool for users with arthritis
Describe how biometrics might be used by a product designer in the design process?
Describe the advantages and disadvantages inclusive design approaches.
Outline a user-research strategy that might be used to learn about the daily challenges of a user with arthritis.
Analyzing for Innovation
Design Challenge
How might we design a tool to improve the daily life of users with arthritis? (Use this list to choose a perspective)
Resources
Arthritis Australia: What is accessible design? This article discusses the importance of accessible design, with a particular focus on packaging.
Center for Disease Control (CDC): Arthritis related disabilities and limitations. This report presents statistical information on Americans with arthritis. It includes data on users, as well as links to additional research.
Asan Medical Center: Arthritis 질환백과 (Korean): This page provides an introduction and overview of arthritis, its causes, and types of treatments.
National Institutes for Health: Everyday living with arthritis: This article outlines some of the challenges that people with arthritis face on a daily basis. It also includes links and references to additional research in this field.