Here you will see how the passion for Participatory and Inclusive Design has been applied across a broad range of project domains. Feel free to look at the list of publications that support the evidenced-based approaches used.
"The Music Computing Lab was fortunate to have Christopher work with us on a research contract on new and advanced methods in digital health. The project spanned a wide range of highly technical people-centric disciplines including human computer interaction, neuropsychology, wearable computing, movement computing and gait rehabilitation. Christopher was a great asset to the project and it was a pleasure to work with him." - Simon Holland, Open University, 2017
Bid Writing and Grant Applications
I have authored and co-authored successful grant bids for the University of Cambridge totalling over £4.6M from the AHRC, ESRC and EPSRC, regularly compile central University reports for UKRI, and personally gained European funding from the DFG to host the first Trans-European Expert Symposium on Technologically-Driven Rehabilitation in Trauma Surgery in Germany.
Business Development
I successfully obtained NHS ethics approval for medical product trials, HREC and IRAS approval, helped develop a H2020 grant proposal with the University of Naples Federico II, Italy, and reviewed a NIHR i4i Connect Expression of Interest (EoI) proposal on behalf of a local design agency.
Wearable Technology with a Medical Application
Having gained the NHS ethics approval for medical trials mentioned above, the trial results indicated that using wearable devices to provide cues to walking helped stroke survivors re-learn their natural walking rhythm and coordination, and increased their independence and sense of well-being. Walking to a rhythm has also been shown to help slow the progression of neurodegenerative effects in gait which, in turn, contributes to maintaining an individuals quality of life.
User Interaction Reviews and Heuristic Analysis
I performed a user interaction and heuristic analysis of the Sangar Institute's COSMIC portal; an online catalogue of somatic mutations in cancer. This was primarily to help them identify and understand their client and customer touch-points and how the elements of the designed interaction have a direct impact upon the overall user experience of system engagement.
Disability Innovation Summit - Presenter and Panelist
I was asked to sit on the panel for the 2017 Disability Innovation Summit in London and spoke about a recent project in which we assisted in the trial of wearable devices with a medical application. The vibrotactile technology has been developed to assist those suffering from stroke, Huntington’s disease and other neurological conditions.
The project will contribute to general knowledge about the efficacy of haptic technologies and the outcome will have significant potential for future medical application and clinical use.
Video Documentary_ Design for Disability
Design for Disability
Design for Disability is a short film that introduces a project focusing upon the design of wheelchairs and assistive technology.
This a great example of how user centred design expertise and knowledge can be applied to a specific area, bearing in mind I am driven to improve the user experience and quality of interaction with all forms of technology, assistive devices and physical artefacts.
Improving the Usability and Design of Assistive Technology
Recent work focused upon design insight exercises that have been developed to elicit user feedback to inform the design and development of more user-friendly, usable, and assistive devices. The aim was to widen user involvement in wheelchair design and in so doing, improve the everyday lives of the disenfranchised and disabled.
I was invited to present the output of this research to Members of Parliament at the House of Commons at the Set for Britain Awards, and made full use of the opportunity to engage Government policy makers with the fields of UX and User Centred Design.
Placing User Centred Design at the heart of the NHS
This work explored the adoption of a user-centered design approach to understanding the needs of 10 electromyography assistive switch users with complex disabilities, and the study was conducted in a busy Rehabilitation Engineering Unit of a National Health Service hospital.
A number of themes emerged relating to the day-to-day use of environmental controls by individuals with a limited range of physical lower limb movements and this approach helped the design team to rethink the future development of assistive switch technologies.
Intelligent Mobility Devices for Older People -
The Devices for Assisted Living (DALi) Project
The project at the University of Trento, Italy, aimed to develop a user-friendly, intuitive, and intelligent walking aid for older people. This involved conducting initial research into the problem area, designing and developing experimental procedures to understand in greater detail the issues faced by older people, and the tasks they aim to perform, and how a design solution can be developed to be in harmony with their needs, requirements, and understanding.
Equipment Sharing Project - University of Cambridge
Developing a global technologies database for use between Cambridge, Imperial College, University College London, and the Universities of Oxford, Southampton and King's. The finalised design solution witnessed a 500% increase in user numbers, with the sites number of page views and interactions increasing by over 450%. At the same time, I liaise directly with all UK funding bodies, and recent grant submissions include proposals for the ESRC’s MSSN Award, the drafting of a successful EPSRC Capital Award for Early Career Researchers, as well as coordinating a central university response for Cambridge’s submission to UKRI’s Equipment and Infrastructure Landscape Survey (Phase I and II), and the EPSRC's Annual Strategic Equipment Report.
User Centred Web Design - Zapawa
Working with the Zapawa team I provided guidance in terms of User Centred Web Design and how to incorporate user experience into their business model. This included developing user walk-through scripts, performing evaluation tests, and providing a full recommendations & results report.
Providing services at the initial stages of business formation has allowed them to grow with an understanding of not only the impact of visual business aesthetics, but also a new appreciation of how they can increase sales revenue by improving their customers interactional experience and enhancing users knowledge and understanding of the business.
Consumer Experience - Service Station
Applying psychological principles to shop-floor layout and the design of the consumer experience to increase sales, maximise productivity, and build effective customer relationships.
This included the provision of training in staff supervision and management, communication, supplier interaction, and how to enhance the in-store customer experience.
Corporate Web Usability Reports - World Medical Group
I performed a Competitor Analysis and Usability Assessment of World Medical's Online Media using heuristic analysis methods to determine how effectively the company performs online and how it could successfully improve it's sales conversion ratio.
Inclusive Design and Product Interaction -
University of Cambridge
Investigating generational and age-related aspects of product and system interaction, and the relationship between experience and design. This included task performance assessment exercises, semi-structured interviews, talk-aloud concurrent protocols, video-recorded interaction sessions, questionnaires and surveys to quantify and validate experimental findings. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed, transcriptions and observed behaviour coded, and interactional performance classified. This has been seen as a benchmark toolkit for Inclusion.
In-Vehicle Safety Systems - Jaguar Cars
In collaboration with Jaguar Cars, Coventry, I researched an enhanced in-vehicle safety system that provided tactile, visual, and auditory feedback in a way that was easy for drivers to understand and interact with, without spoiling their experience.
In-Vehicle Navigation Systems - Porsche and Aston Martin
In-Vehicle Navigation Systems - Porsche and Aston Martin
With input from Porsche AG, Germany, and Aston Martin Lagonda in the UK, I researched the Optimal Physical Location of In-car Navigation Systems. Driving simulators were developed to assist investigation into the effects of driver distraction and how this might be minimised by effective interface design. Simulators were used in evaluative test sessions to glean insights that directly informed the design process.