Soft Keyboard
An ergonomic mathematical keyboard designed for students with MPS and other cognitive disabilities.
Role:
User Experience Researcher, Software Developer
Tools:
Java
Timeline:
2 years
Achievements
Merit Award, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Award
We created Soft Keyboard for students to have more control on their fingers to input mathematical symbols.
It all started with a student in Red Cross John F. Kennedy Centre, Hong Kong who had MPS and limited mobility on their fingers.
The Real Problem
The real problem is that existing keyboards, like the one in Microsoft Word requires -
multiple steps to get the exact symbol like an algebraic superscript, or fractions, or even pressing “%” on the keyboard
multiple steps mean multiple uses of fingers at a time and more muscle power.
So we thought, and thought, and thought.
How do we create a more user-friendly mathematical keyboard that hasn’t been done by Microsoft yet?
How do we let everyone get access to it?
How do we find out the intensity of the problem and find real people to test with?
As a group of designers and problem solvers, we were excited and had so many variables that we wanted to cover.
And ultimately, after quite a few iterations and user tests, we found out,
circular keyboard take the least number of steps for a user to write an equation
as opposed to conventional shapes, circular keyboards also require the least movement of fingers.
And here’s how we made it work and calculated the time difference between two kinds of keyboard:
More problems to solve
Once we had sorted out the shape of the keyboard, we came across more and more questions:
What’s the format of the software going to be so that anyone can download it?
We stuck to Java as an .exe file!
Do we open source the software?
Yes and yes. Our target is now to reach the HK education bureau so that this tool can be used in public exams!
Are our target customers only students with MPS?
Nope, anyone in the need of a more ergonomic and user-friendly math keyboard are our users. But specially students with cognitive disabilities and/or limited motor capacities.
Okay but one more problem:
A C C E S S I B I L I T Y.
We designed the keyboard with very standard grey and mundane colors as we would do with any other utility based software. But then we realised, some of our students may be color blind!
