An examination of use of multi-sensory design tactics and affordances and how they can facilitate inclusion and access and where they fall short. Call outs to specific considerations that are citical to these affordances.

1. Multi-Sensory Design
Towards Inclusion and Access
MCN -2019.11.06
Sina Bahram
sina@sinabahram.com
Corey Timpson
corey@coreytimpson.com

2. Ecosystem
The user exists within both physical and digital space.
Many variables combine to define the user experience within and across
these spaces.
Consideration of either of these spaces cannot be done in isolation. We
must consider both, as we think towards inclusion, access, and meaningful
experience design.

3. Ethos
Rather than design and develop something and then figure out how to make
it accessible, we design with a consideration to all audiences, and all vectors
of human difference, from the outset.

4. Premise
Exclusion is the result of mismatched intentions: design intent vs user intent.
Our responsibility is to know how our design intent affects, responds to, and
facilitates user intentions.
Resolving these points of exclusion yields not only inclusion, but immersion
and innovation.

5. Facets
The facets of our approach:
• mixed interaction design (passive, active, interactive)
• analogue and digital blends (mixed and trans media)
• stylistic variety
• immersion
• multi-sensory

6. Multi-Sensory
1. Visual
2. Auditory
3. Somatosensory
A. Cutaneous
. Haptic, texture, vibration
. Temperature, pain, itchiness, ticklishness
B. Proprioception
. Balance, body position
4. Osmoreception (Thirst, Hunger)
5. Gustatory
6. Olfactory

7. Tactile, Audio Navigated Photos

10. Tactile, Audio Navigated Photos
Visual, tactile, auditory
4 instances (to date, more to come)
• Sight Unseen Exhibition
• Points of View Exhibition
• Tet Offensive Exhibition
• Time to Act: Rohingya Voices Exhibition
Consider: Respecting artistic intent.

11. Multi-Sensory Installation Design

18. Multi-Sensory Installation Design
Visual, auditory, olfactory, vibra-tactile-haptic.
Consider: Creating multi-sensory installations that do not exclude one group
in service of another.

19. Tactile Reproductions + Guided
Descriptions

21. Tactile Reproductions + Guided Descriptions
Tactile, visual, auditory.
Consider: Balancing aesthetic accuracy against tactile clarity.

22. Historic House Museum

25. Historic House Museum
Visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, textural, more.
Consider: Ensure historical accuracy while providing inclusive and
accessible experiences.

26. Final Thoughts

27. Final Thoughts
Using multi-sensory design for inclusion and access is a benefit, not a
burden.
Happy accidents happen (innovation is provoked).
This is not a zero sum game. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
(this is actually true, not just a cliché).

28. Final Thoughts
Multi-sensory design does not guarantee immersion, nor inclusion or
access.
Multi-sensory design tactics, in service of inclusion, provides rich,
immersive, and accessible experiences, when implemented deliberately.

29. Thank You
MCN -2019.11.06
Sina Bahram
sina@sinabahram.com
Corey Timpson
corey@coreytimpson.com