A challenging design case study for interactive media design education: interactive media for individuals with autism

Abstract

Since 1999, research for creativity triggering education solutions for interactive media design (IMD) undergraduate level education in Yildiz Technical University leaded to a variety of rule breaking exercises. Among many approaches, the method of designing for disabling environment, in which the students design for the users with one or more of their senses disabled, brought the challenge of working on developing interactive solutions for the individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). With the aim of making their life easier, the design students were urged to find innovative yet functional interaction solutions for this focused user group, whose communicational disability activate due to the deficiencies in their senses and/or cognition. Between 2011 and 2012, this project brief supported by participatory design method motivated 26 students highly to develop design works to reflect the perfect fit of interaction design to this challenging framework involving the defective social communication cases of autism.