Vizzbu
Vizzbu is a digital training tool to improve visual-perceptual skills in children with Cortical visual impairment.
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I collaborated with the team to create a training tool for CVI. I was involved in the ideation and development process right from the beginning to the end. This included conducting research, user testing, the conceptualization of the product, and creating visual design and user interface.
The role of red and yellow
CVI can cause a variety of visual problems that can range from mild to severe. Certain colours like red and yellow don't overload as much as the other colours do. Vision rehabilitation can help people with CVI make the most of their vision. Early interventions, therapy, and educational support can help children develop and learn.
Opportunity
The opportunity was to ideate on the four areas which were challenging for the children. There were:
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Responding to the things they see
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Seeing certain parts of what is in front of them
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Recognizing faces and objects
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Recognizing things in cluttered spaces
Further, exploring the idea of using shades of yellow and red throughout the product to omit sensory overload. This would mean visualizing different aspects of the product in either or both colours to include customization.
Goal
Creating a training tool to improve visual-perceptual skills
Discovery and research
Interview with clinicians
One of the key insights drawn from the interviews was the need to design the product in shades of yellow and red. Some other takeaways were:
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Including interactions with the objects as a part of the training
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Working on 2-3 forms of visual perceptual training
Research
It was important to dive deep into research and learn about Cerebral visual impairment, the symptoms, causes, treatments, and the latest research available. This additional information helped to circulate any ideas that could further help.
Competitive Analysis
Market research helped to understand that there are different kinds of training tools that help visual perspectual skills. Though these products didn't offer any kind of customization. Moreover, there is no integration of 'watch and play mode' in one product which slows down the process of training for the users.
Acknowledging that each child has different needs
Every user has different needs, requirements, and developments. Acknowledging that every user with CVI is different helps to design the foundations of the training tool where the product can be easily customized to meet every user's personal need.
Development of engaging characters
Children with CVI find it easier tto recognise animals. The challenge was to shortlist four characters that were distinctive from each other but also had a personality of their own. The guiding principles to develop these characters were:
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Inclusion of animals thatt live on different terain
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Choosing animals that were known to children
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Envisioning these animals in both yellow and red colours
Introducing
Vizzbu
Watch and play modes
The watch mode is specially designed to train the user to identify different ways of perceiving a character through visual monitoring.
With the play mode, the users are trained to now respond and engage with the characters that they saw in watch mode.
Ability to personalise the experience
It is important to acknowlege that each child has different ability to see and recognise objects and characters. Vizzbu personalises the app for each user by allowing them to select their primary colour of character, contrasting background, size of the character and even tthe speed of tthe game.
Different types of games to practice visual monitoring
The games are designed for children to work on three primary aspects:
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Responding to the things they see
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Recognising faces and objects
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Recognising things in cluttered spaces
Team
Engineers: Rahul Jidge, Roopa Narayan Sahoo
Product Design: Ravi Poovaiah, Deep Singh, Vajra Pancharia
Clinical Advisor: Sudha Srinivasan