Vipa
Vipa is a conceptual payment assistant for the visually impaired. Designed to enhance security, independence and accessibility at the point of sale.
a virtual payment assistant for the visually impaired
context
Visual impairment is one of the most common forms of disability, and it often brings challenges with accessing and using modern services, some of which are simply inaccessible or non-existent for this group of people.
Visual impairment can easily be easily overlooked, excluded from commonly designed services and systems, and after working with Visual Impairment Charitable Trust Aoteroa (VICTA), who support the visually impaired community, I identified the need for a more accessible payment system, and designed a solution for this vulnerable and under-represented group in an effort to enable and empower independence.
project
history
Vipa was a conceptual university product originally proposed in 2014, yet there is still no accessible form of secure payment for the visually impaired. Technology has since advanced in ways that have enabled the redesign of what was a ‘physical + system’ based concept, into a smart iOS application that could be easily shipped to millions of users worldwide.
The significant user benefits of being able to securely and independently make payments, with associated business benefits of assuring transactions and reducing fraudulent activity forms the basis of a formidable value proposition for this product.
user studies
Working with VITCA provided a great opportunity for extensive, immersive primary research. The project scope was broad; in essence to identify a problem that is commonly faced by those with visual impairments, and to help solve it.
Using a toolkit of HCD research methods and focusing on identifying and analyzing problems, it became apparent that there is a significant need for products that proactively improve the likelihood of day to day independence of the visually impaired. A prime example of this being the electronic purchase of goods in-store - something that is often taken for granted, but can easily hinder the independence and financial security of an individual with a visual impairment.
real
insights
We used an immersive approach, working with Focus Group User members, using observations, interviews and a ‘day in the life of’ in order to draw out Insights and define our Problem Statements. These techniques let us truly understand and empathize with the user, and grasp the true magnitude of challenges that are faced by this group on a day to day basis.
We identified that payment systems/POS terminals were not adequately accessible to this group, resulting in a hinderance to independence, and daily concerns for financial safety, such as simply ensuring that the correct amount was paid. Our Focus Group members often shared pin numbers with strangers, carried around blank checks, and relied on the good faith of merchants, all presenting significant risks, continual stress and placing them in a vulnerable position.
Key Problems + Insights:
Point of Sale Systems [POS] are all varied with differences in technology and usability detail, making use by a visually impaired individual difficult.
POS screens have small, low contrast displays making it hard or often impossible to confirm you are being charged the correct amount.
The focus group confirmed that the inability to pay for goods and services yourself is a threat to personal independence.
The focus group expressed concern and associated stress in relation to potential financial exploitation, especially by small - medium operators/ vendors.
Credit cards and wallets are often misplaced by the visually impaired, and it is extremely difficult to find these again but wearable technology is favourable.
user
personas
User studies provided key insights into their daily lives; the challenges, activities, and behavioural characteristics of our identified user group. From these, User personas were created in order to help guide the Product creation and development process.
The user personas were fundamental in enabling the creation of a widely inclusive product, that is as accessible as possible, yet remains subtle, unassuming and intuitive. For example, a key insight was that our user base would include multiple types and severities of vision impairment, and many did not want to draw attention to their degrading vision; this insight would ultimately guide the ideation and iteration process, creating firm constraints and benchmarks for product expectations.
problem
statement
Charlotte is a successful professional who has started to lose her vision and needs a subtle, and more accessible payment solution to replace her physical credit cards because she is struggling to read the POS screen when purchasing goods or services.
issues + needs
Who is affected? Visually impaired individuals 40-85+ years of age.
What are the issues? Lack of POS accessibility standards make visually impaired users financially vulnerable and at the mercy of a merchant’s good faith.
Where does it happen? At all in-person suppliers of goods/ services, especially small vendors such as taxis, cafes, bars.
Why does this matter? Because the idea of financial vulnerability is a source of continued stress for the visually impaired. A solution would improve their independence during day to day activities, as well as peace of mind.
keep it
simple
Following analysis of our User’s payment experiences, the User journey map highlighted key opportunities for improvement - specifically the identification of a purchase price (as an intercept in the payment flow) so that the payment could be confirmed following this check by the User. After strong rounds of ideation, analysis and further user research, the concept of converting the payment process into a visual, audible and physical experience was landed.
Hypothesis Statement: Charlotte needs a payment app that helps indicate price and confirms the purchase through sound, touch, and sight, in a more accessible way, so that she can independently purchase goods and services with minimal risk and peace of mind
concepts
& solution
Deep research, exploration and a variety of ideation techniques resulted in an original solution proposal for a wearable payment band that provided vibration feedback to the user in order to indicate price. However, the concept has evolved since then.
The latest series of iterations and consequent revision of this initiative identified an opportunity to create an iOS application that integrates with Apple Pay. This is a solution that is technology enabled by the use of Apple Pay + Apple Watch, which is now a mature offering, that is secure, trusted and widely used and understood in the marketplace.
Consequently Vipa offers a rich feature-set, providing an audible, visual and haptic review of payment amounts to a User before a purchase is confirmed. The foundational usability experience is based on Vipa using ‘two taps to pay’ - one tap to get the amount, and a second to confirm and complete the payment, thus offering a simplistic, easy to use and fast, accurate function for the user
interaction
maps
To ensure that the experience is intuitive and accessible for the visually impaired User, in addition to consideration of edge cases, I developed both high level interaction maps/user flows, and detailed, system-specific Interaction maps.
The Use Journey for these flows and interactions helped to identify candidate screens for further design, the core functionality to be integrated, and a wide range of edge cases that needed to be considered.
Below is an example of the ‘happy path’ journey for a purchase process. This can be considered as the steel-thread process that is required for an MVP delivering an end-to-end User experience.
accessible interface
Accessibility is a primary requirement and is at the forefront of every design decision for this project. From the core user journey [purchasing goods/services] through to the application settings and preferences, the functionality had to be simplified and considered for a multitude of different use cases and scenarios.
Designing an accessible and intuitive interface required exploration of oversized iconography and simplified representations. As an example, how can a user identify an icon or even an area on screen that represents a credit card, when all that user can physically see is a blurred mass of colour? These are complex design challenges that have driven the need for simple solutions for the Users.
haptic
feedback
To help assist the User with identifying payment amounts, they can turn on and select from a range of predetermined vibration indicators. These indicators work by setting limits, with one, two or three vibrations indicating that the price of a purchase is below a user-adjustable limit. This converts visual confirmation into a physical experience, and enables a confirmation that they are or aren’t being charged an incorrect amount.
As an example, a merchant verbally tells them that the goods cost $9, but the User’s phone vibrates twice when presented to the terminal. They therefore know that they are being overcharged, and can request that the merchant corrects the price.
automatic dictation
All application functionality has been designed with the user at the centre of all decisions. Not only does the application use an oversize interface, but all text automatically dictates on press. This helps the user read more into functions and settings, and provides them with the ability to manage their preferences and settings on their own, enabling independence.
custom
sound
Complimenting automated dictation, all sound and dictation within the application is adjustable. A majority of people with a disability have more than one disability, which significantly increases the probability that Users will not only have a visual impairment, but will likely also have another physical impairment, such as hearing difficulties.
Through being able to adjust application volume and pitch, the User can use high or low pitch voices to help customize their experience in order to meet their individual needs. The inclusion of physical, audible, and visual feedback features provides a wide capability set that enables the product to improving accessibility for many.
people are
different
Everyone has different preferences, and no two people are the same; and vision loss no different. Severity of impairments can drastically differ, as it is not a binary issue. To help users tailor their experience to their needs, Vipa has multiple colour modes targeted at assisting different types of vision loss.
Customisation is often a Feature that is enabled in digital experiences, but for those with a visual impairment, the need for these adjustments is often essential for functionality to work for them, rather than it being a ‘nice to have’ choice.
