Outcome: Flexikit - A Prepping Bundle A tool-kit
After upgrading prototypes several times, we made out the final model-FlexiKit. The finished version was shown in the Science Museum under the supervision of parents, and both neurodiverse and mainstream children free interacted with it. The toolkit includes three dedicated resources: an interactive sensory map, functional Visual cards and a VR experience of the exhibits. It is designed to meet the needs of a diverse society and make museums inclusive and accessible for all. The creation of prepping bundle is befitted for social institutions like Science Museum in London. The aim is to provide information and guidance about the Museum's settings to the individuals who are on Autism Spectrum and their families to plan their visits according to their comfort and convenience.
Final outcome, credit: Manali
Interactive Sensory Map with visual cards The map is designed according to the actual building plan of Science Museum. Each visual card consists of an actual photo of the subject on one side and a matching illustration another side. By inserting visual cards on it can help children visually understand the sensory stimuli space from the 3 components on top.
Functional Interactive cards
Interactive cards made by multiple materials helps children understand museum contents directly. Allow children to learn in a playful and relaxed way.
VR experience Scan barcodes on Visual Cards from smartphone can immerse users in a host of virtual reality worlds. This product can help children understand the basic information of exhibits and the nature of light.
Reflection In the final stage, the adequacy of the prototype as support for preparing for the museum visit will focus on learning and socialisation for families with autistic children would be verified. Weaknesses and strengths of the invention through feedback in terms of improving visiting experience will be analysed and further recommendations would be made for improvements and adaptability. Reflecting on the testing results of our prototype, most children seemed to be confused to what to do when they first interacted with FlexiKit so parental assistance remains necessary. On the one hand, the design helps to relieve the workload of the parent in introducing and familiarising the children to the environment in advance, while on the other hand, the mechanics of the game need to be interpreted by the parents again. This led me to reflect on whether our design was really creating a 'stress-free' experience, or whether it was inadvertently adding complexity. The good thing is that nearly 90% of the children can correctly insert the Visual Card into the matching area on the map and can understand the introductory film shown on the VR device. However, it was difficult for them to make the connection to the actual scene in the museum. This happened for two reasons: (1) We ignored the children’s memory ability in developing as this design requires the children to remember information they receive at home and bring it to the museum for recollection, which is undoubtedly a challenge for autistic children. Our design, including the cards, including the map, including the VR video, is too idealised compared to the actual environment. The noisy, crowded nature of the museum is downplayed by the reactions of three components. This can lead to a situation where even if the children are aware of the instability of certain areas in advance, they may still feel sensory overload once they arrive there during a particularly busy period example term holidays.