Redesigned PRC Toolbox
We're proud to announce that earlier this year, we wrapped up a fourteen month-long project with Prentke Romich Company (PRC), a leader in production of AAC (augmentative/alternative communication) devices. Their devices are used for communication by people who can’t speak. Most of their users live with autism, or cerebral palsy, or another condition that makes speech impossible.
In early 2016, we embarked on a journey to redesign a piece of their AAC software. Specifically, they wanted us to update the design of the “toolbox” area used by parents, teachers, and others. This is the part of the AAC device where crucial settings happen – like how a user interfaces with the AAC device (by touching it, by having it track their eyes, etc.) what appears on different screens, or how long a user has to press on a button before the press registers. Clearly, there were many challenges that our team had to think through in redesigning the toolbox, and many different user types that we needed to speak with (most toolbox users are fully able-bodied people – speech-language pathologists, teachers, parents, spouses, and caretakers).
Overall, the project was very successful (see redesigned toolbox menu screen above), and we received plenty of positive feedback from various types of users to validate the new design. Stay tuned, we'll be sharing a more detailed case study of this project soon!
