Design an accessible and user-friendly spice rack for individuals who are blind.

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Design an accessible and user-friendly spice rack for individuals who are blind.

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Knight27 · Answer 1 · 2023-09-26T13:13:51+0000

I have attempted this product design question to refine and define my product sense. Please share your feedback.

Clarifying question:

Who are primary users of spice rack? Individuals are completely blind or partially blind or varying degree of visual impairment
What is a spice rack? - a shelf in kitchen used to hold small containers of spices

Primary goals are:

Accessibility
Usability
Leading Independently

Target Persona: Primary users are individuals who are blind or have significant visual impairment

User Journey:

User selects a spice
Locate the spice
Identify the spice
Use the spice

Pain Points

Difficulty locating and distinguishing between spices.
Identifying spices accurately without relying on sight.
Handling spices without spills or mess.
Limited ability to browse and select spices independently.

Features and Prioritization

Features	Descriptions	User Impact	Complexity	Overall Priority
Tactile Labels	Braille labels on each spice container for identification by touch.	High	Low	P(0)
Voice Assistant	Reading out spice names and enable voice commands; integrate with smartphone	High	Medium	P(1)
Magnetic Containers	Easy to attach to the rack	Medium	Medium	P(2)
Locator & Mount	Easy to locate or touchpad on the rack; smart layout in alphabetical order; easy mounting to the wall or cabinet for easy accessibility	High	Medium	P(1)
Spill Resistant	Controlled mechanism to prevent spilling	Medium	High	P(2)
Companion app	Able to provide additional information about spice and integrates with voice assistant	High	Medium	P(1)

Summary

As tactile label has highest impact and low cost, it will be MVP for target persona in this case and each spice container should have a tactile label with braille and raised text in a clear, high-contrast font for those who have some residual vision.

Further, MVP+ or next release should also have some feature of voice assistant, easy locator, comfortable mounting and companion app to enable the target persona (blind people in this case) to help them carry out daily activities without much complexity.