Part 1: Designing for An Inclusive Future
Part 2: Current Page
Part 3: Designing Inclusive Spatial Interactions and Visual Cues
Part 4: Designing for Auditory Engagement
Part 5: Designing New Ways to Navigate
Part 6: Designing Feedback and Learning
Part 7: Designing A Strategic Process
A digital experience will probably never be 100% accessible to 100% of people 100% of the time…so what can we, as designers, do? This question is even more important, and more complex, when when we seek to create accessible immersive experiences in 3D, like augmented reality and virtual reality.
By Caitlyn Haisel, Design Director at CARNEVALE
At CARNEVALE, we consider immersive digital experiences to be the future of how we interact with technology, each other, and the world. If we don’t ensure that the experiences we create are accessible and inclusive, we are deciding who does, and doesn’t, get to participate in society.
Additionally, what one user wants or needs in an experience may be different, or outright contradictory, to what another user wants or needs. It seems impossible achieve.
So what can we do?
We can allow users to adapt our experiences to them. Customization gives power to the user. It allows the experience to adapt to the needs and preferences of the user instead of asking the user to adapt to the experience. Providing multiple ways for someone to interact with the products we create is a core tenet of accessible and inclusive design.
Our phones allow us to tailor our experience on the device level. We can change the text size, font, color mode, turn on features like VoiceOver, zoom, configure the behavior of the physical buttons, and so much more.
In 3D and extended reality experiences, customization can provide options for how users interact inside and with immersive 3D space.
We can construct our digital experiences to become a Swiss Army knife of accessibility, offering our users the right tools and features for their needs and the way they experience the world.
Compatibility With Existing Systems
While innovation in the 3D/XR accessibility space frequently leads to developing new systems and methods for users to navigate experiences, often the simplest solution is overlooked: integration into current accessibility systems.
Currently, most platforms used to build 3D/XR experiences, like Unity, are not compatible with native accessibility tools. This creates an immediate barrier for users who utilize on these native tools to navigate traditional digital experiences and the world.
While it doesn’t exist yet, we believe there is a future where users have the ability to plug into existing native accessibility functionality and tools such as Apple’s VoiceOver to XR experiences. There should also be auto-detection of assistive technology and automatic use.
Height Adaptation
Any 3D/XR experience should be able to accommodate and include all users’ heights whether they are seated, 3ft tall, 7ft tall, or have a limited range of motion. Users could be given the power to globally adjust the position of important elements that they must interact with, read, view, etc based on their height.
Element Placement and Scaling
Important interactive elements could be independently moved and scaled to the user’s needs. Instead of needing to pan around or physically move to view an object, it can be placed directly in front of the user to be interacted with. If the element is too tall, the user can scale it down to have easier access or view of it.
World Scaling
Alternatively, the entire world could be scaled to the user’s height and needs instead of only specific elements. A user who is seated or uses a wheelchair can shrink the world so all elements and interactions are now located in a world designed specifically to fit them.
Perspective Shifting
AR and VR experiences typically operate under the assumption that the user is viewing the 3D world at a parallel angle to the ground. However, some users are unable to walk, stand, or sit while maintaining the expected angle of perspective to the experience. So, what happens if a user enters a virtual reality world while reclined, and their line of sight is shifted? We can shift the 3D world. We can adjust the angle of the ground, elements, and view to reflect the position of the user, allowing them to interact with the experience equitably.
Configurable Controllers
In VR experiences, the controller itself could be configured to the user’s preference in areas such as the sensitivity of the thumb-stick, axis response, left or right-handedness, motion tracking sensitivity, etc. Many video game controllers already support this type of customization, and it should be extended and expanded to 3D experiences.
Customizable World + Interaction Settings
The world and the way the user interacts with the world could be customized. Customizable elements include (but not limited to): brightness, contrast, sensitivity, text size, motion sensitivity, saturation, layout, time-outs, reachable zones for interactive elements to reside, etc. Users can create their own mix of settings and features to tailor the experience specifically to themselves.
Customizable UI
UI (user interfaces) could be customized by the user to adapt to the way they use the interface. Positioning and size of UI elements can be configured to how the users wants to interact. This provides options for left and right handed users, who only use 1 hand to navigate or have disabilities that impact dexterity and fine motor controls. UI/control types can also be changed or some could be hidden entirely. Some users may prefer a scrubbing bar control, others may need simple gestures and would prefer single tap buttons for actions.
Color Modes
Color modes could be provided to allow users to tailor their visual experience to the way their eyes see, or don’t see, color. Designers and developers can create specific colorblindness shaders for 3D experiences that accentuate certain dark and light values to improve contrast for different types of vision and colorblindness. to ensure all users can use the experience.
Localization
Including localization and multiple languages for experiences enables us to impact a broader audience. There are also intersections between ability and language, such as supporting interpretation to American Sign Language (ASL) that is a consideration.
Audio Unification
While spatial audio is an important feature to orient users to the world and space, it should also be optional. Users should be able to switch between spatial audio and audio combined into a single track.
Easy Access to Accessibility Controls
Accessibility controls within the experience should be easily accessible. These controls should not buried in menu hierarchy somewhere difficult to find, creating yet another barrier to use. This is the virtual equivalent to having an accessible ramp but it’s a separate entrance behind the building. An example of having accessible controls in VR could be a 3D control panel that is attached to the person in 3D space.
Allowing the user to adapt our immersive digital experiences to their needs, abilities, and preferences gives them the power to create the best version of our products for how they experience the world.
Explore the Series
Part 1: Designing for An Inclusive Future
Part 2: Current Page
Part 3: Designing Inclusive Spatial Interactions and Visual Cues
Part 4: Designing for Auditory Engagement
Part 5: Designing New Ways to Navigate
Part 6: Designing Feedback and Learning
Part 7: Designing A Strategic Process