I was considering changing my user group to high school students (15-18 years old) a few weeks ago. What I liked about 6-9 year olds was the design challenges of using crutches in academic environments (where to place crutches when sitting at desk, how to get through crowded hallways, walking with a backpack, getting on/off bus, etc.). I also liked the idea of designing for a user group that values a completely different aesthetic then someone my age would value. Unfortunately, I failed to realize how difficult it would be to gain access to this user group.
With high school students (15-18 years old)–I have plenty of access to people who fit the physical proportions of high school students. High school students also experience the same issues while in an academic setting as I mentioned earlier. Aesthetics are huge for this group and they don’t want to be alienated by an injury/disability in both a physical and appearance manner. Maybe this is a better user group to go with…
Aesthetics are huge for this group and they don’t want to be alienated by an injury/disability in both a physical and appearance manner
That’s a huge pill to swallow. Though I understand your sentiment, you may need to get some “interview feedback” from your users to build credibility to your argument. Also, your setting is very concentrated on specific school environments. That is good and it covers a good range, but you should also find other contextual environments for you user group. What about kids who work part-time? How does their situation assist in their work tasks? What about kids that walk to school only? (endurance crutches) What about those who transfer from wheel chair to crutches? How does that translate? There is still a lot more environmental scenarios than just the school environment. I’d build more scenarios than just school since you’re targeted group is more accessible. Good luck.