Weather OTG

Weather On-the-Go allows users with visual impairments to build a customized and integrated weather notification system to help them plan their trips. In contrast to a design focused project, this project looked to adopt a more exploratory approach. Our primary goal was not to come up with the perfect design prototype but to further probe into our problem space and look to understand our users. This was a more research heavy project and we placed a lot more focus on coming up with the right questions that would allow us to best study our space. We looked to do this through a lot of literature review and by mainting constant touch with our interviewees through interviews.

Background

Weather plays a central role in all our lives. The conditions around us dictate what we wear, what we carry with us, and what our plans are. Its unpredictable nature means that oftentimes it is crucial for us to know about the various parameters that might affect these decisions. The challenge one faces is to study the various numerical information and extract what matters to them.

Early into our research and interviews, it became increasingly clear to us that visually impaired people face plenty of issues while checking the weather. As a result, this semester, our team looked to explore in-depth how people with visual impairments stay informed about the weather and how we can look to make the experience smoother and more personalized for them.

Some of the probing questions that our research revolved around are: ​​​​​​​

1. How are target users accessing current weather?

2. In what contexts are they checking for current weather?

3. Are they employing the use of any assistive technology or devices to access weather data?

4. Are there any differences in how they access weather data in private and public spaces?

5. Do they have to rely on auditory methods for weather data? Is it multi-modal or does it involve only one sensory stimulus?