Research Approaches

The systems approach to research activities within this project

Four research activities will be conducted in the three-year study:

• Activity 1: an analysis of universal design guidance in the context of practitioner use
• Activity 2: a field-based analysis of supply-chain stakeholder activities
• Activity 3: controlled studies of resource use during universal design projects
• Activity 4: a summative resources and training effects study.

The activities combine to form a systems approach to understanding relevant stakeholders, and their use of universal design resources.

Research Activity 1 : Analysis of universal design guidance in the context of practitioner use

In recent years, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) began attempts to make standards more customer focused, where the customer is defined as being the standard user. This was done in part due to the supposition that the standards-setting atmosphere encouraged elitism on the part of the creators (resulting in a deficiency in terms of brevity, clarity and usability for the customers)[1]. Elitism may not be an intent but a natural effect, where experts do not or cannot place themselves in the position of the customer. The goals of this research activity are, then, to form a comprehensive understanding of the creative process relating to the development of universal design resources, the past levels of experience that people who created various resources had in understanding the needs of the their customers, and how the former's level of understanding did or did not influence resource outcomes. There will inevitably be mismatches between what was intended by the creators of universal design resources and the ability of those in the supply chain to interpret and use them, and such mismatches need to be analyzed and, where possible, quantitatively characterized.

Research Activity 2 : Analysis of supply-chain stakeholder activities

The purpose of this research activity is to observe and characterize the needs of practitioners relevant to tasks that involve the use of universal design resources. There is a need to examine work processes, group and individual dynamics, and resources utilized during universal design-related projects. We will interview and observe the work processes of stakeholders such as designers, procurement officers, marketing/promotion personnel, sales personnel, and project management while tackling projects that relate to Section 255 or Section 508. To accomplish this, actual use will be compared with the anticipated use of the resources as revealed by the results of Research Activity 1. The results of the field study activities will combine to form a model of resource utilization from the perspective of the people on the "front-lines" of electronic device procurement, production, and sales.

Research Activity 3 : Controlled studies of resource use during projects

The first resources consulted can have a profound influence on the outcome of any given design project. In this study we will track resource utilization by designers previously unfamiliar with universal design when they are given universal design projects. In order to control for external factors such as the opinions and experiences of (and interruptions by) co-workers, this will be a laboratory-based study. The goal of this study is to gain insight into the thought processes of participants in an environment that simulates a typical scenario in industry (being given a brief outside of one's normal area of expertise, and a tight timeframe and budget).

Research Activity 4 : Resources and training effects study

This research activity will form the "capstone" of the project, bringing together the knowledge gained in the previous activities in a large-scale experiment. This study will manipulate variables of resources and training for a number of design teams. The overall aim of this study is to determine whether there are negative effects from information overload or from access to too little information, and if so, at what levels are these effects manifested. The results will be useful in terms of guiding the level of investment in time and resources universal design educators, and those creating stand-alone universal design resources.