Sensory Reduction

Abstract

The purpose of the design project was to examine the methodologies involved in the development of a design solution to a given problem. Students worked in teams of five and worked with a client to consultatively identify a problem, develop a strategy to meet the client’s needs and compose a proposal for a solution. The team created a project management plan in the form of a Gantt chart, which was kept up to date as the project evolved, up until the final day. The team was encouraged to think creatively, using their individual backgrounds to enhance the group’s creative capacity. This required each member to respect the diverse disciplines at play and to understand the ever-evolving roles of each member of the group. The goal was to present a final deliverable to the client in a timely and professional manner. The client in this project was Kidspace, a multidisciplinary pediatric therapy clinic located in San Francisco, Californa. Kidspace provides occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy and psychotherapy. Their clients seek treatment for a broad range of child development challenges including sensory processing disorders, Austism Spectrum Disorders, ADD/ADHD and a few neurological disorders. The teams worked closely with the therapists to understand their perspectives and concerns and to identify the problem that the design team would attempt to solve. Many of the children at Kidspace are sensitive to sensory feedback and are easily overstimulated by a variety of sensory inputs. During the busier times and transitions at Kidspace, the high levels of sensory input can create a difficult environment to have a productive therapy session. The goal of the project is to design an environment to reduce auditory and visual stimulation throughout the facility. A very thorough, human-centered design approach was followed, guided by the policies with which the design consultative firm, IDEO, has become so successful. This process included facility and interaction observations, large group brainstorming sessions, rapid prototyping, proposal analysis and selection, refinement and implementation. To address the issue of sensory reduction in Kidspace, the team inevitable designed three final products, which were formally presented to the client four weeks after the first meeting. The first deliverable was a working prototype of a partition that would be used to close off the gap in the wall between the waiting room and the main hallway to reduces the sound travel between the two areas. The second design was a working model of a door made of several overlapping 6” PVC strips. which provided a safe alternative to a solid door and also reduces sound travel between the gyms The final deliverable was a sound sensor implemented into a structure that hangs on the wall and provides feedback in the form of LED lights to indicate the noise level of the room. After the presentation, the client was very pleased with the products delivered, and it is likely many of these designs will come to fruition within the facility in the near future.