News – Page 5 – IXD@Pratt

Assistive Technology: Read Aloud (Firefox Desktop Extension)

By Aemilia Techentin / February 2, 2023 / News

Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader by LSD Software is a free text to speech (TTS) browser extension (or “add-on”) that allows internet users to hear webpages read aloud to them. Some webpages may offer an audio file in addition to the text but most do not. It is designed for any internet browser or EPUB reader to listen to written text from almost any page narrated to them. As a functional solution, Read Aloud widens the scope of both how users and which users can engage with webpages.

Assistive technology: Amazon Kindle

By Melissa Bowden / February 2, 2023 / News

The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is a staple e-reader that offers users the ability to read and listen to books on an LED-backlit screen. While not designed for use only by disabled users, the Kindle is an assistive technology that allows for flexible usage depending on individual accessibility needs. The Weight of Reading I have a …

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Design Critique: The Target App (iPhone app)

By Tharani Prabu / February 1, 2023 / News

Introduction The Target app is an e-commerce site representing Target, a long-standing retail establishment based in North America. It contains features aiding both online and in-store shopping, such as order and pick-up scheduling, home delivery options, a barcode scanner and more. This post critiques the app in accordance with principles and concepts outlined in Don …

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Assistive Technology – Kurzweil 3000

By Nishi Chitale / February 1, 2023 / News

Learning software for reading, writing and scanning documents Kurzweil 3000 is an assistive technology that primarily works as a screen reader. It also has some additional features like pdf scanning, access to dictionary and text-to-speech. The target audience for this software is students with visual impairments. Compatibility: It is available on Mac and Windows OS …

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Case Study: Grassroots Grocery

By Alfredo Gutierrez / December 20, 2022 / News

Project Summary As part of a 4 person team, I worked to analyze the issues with our client’s website and how they might be remedied. With Grassroots Grocery being an organization that focuses on providing fresh produce to community fridges and partner organizations that serve high-need communities in NYC, it is imperative that their website …

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Using Eye Tracking Insights to Optimize the Process of Applying to Graduate Programs at Pratt Institute on the pratt.edu Mobile Website

By Eesha Parasnis / December 19, 2022 / News

Project Overview: This project was a team effort as part of the “Advanced Usability and UX Evaluation” coursework at Pratt Institute. We worked with Pratt Institute over the course of 1.5 months to conduct an eye tracking study on the redesigned pratt.edu mobile website. Based on our key findings, we came up with several recommendations …

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Connecting seniors to vital resources through the Bay Ridge Center website

By Chris Jacobs / December 19, 2022 / News

The Bay Ridge Center, a non-profit community organization providing support for older residents of southeast Brooklyn, wanted to test the usability of its newly-redesigned website, with a particular focus on its user-friendliness for seniors. After conducting a series of moderated remote user tests with a sample of older participants, we determined that while the website covers an impressive amount of information on a range of services, there were some findability issues that impacted accessibility.

Creating an Accessible and Engaging Experience for NYC DDC

By Yang Cheng / December 19, 2022 / News

Background Team (2 teams) Methods (Observation, Interview, Dairy Study, Workshop) Findings Recommendations Conclusion and Next Steps Background NYC DDC (the Department of Design and Construction), is the city’s primary capital construction project manager, builds many of the civic facilities New Yorkers use every day. They also offer communities with new or renovated structures such as …

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Using Ethnography to Explore & Improve Construction Site Communications with NYC Design & Construction.

By Jun H. Kok / December 19, 2022 / News

Team- Anamika Menon, Cathy Hu, Jun Hou Kok Potential For A New Product- Design and Construction (DDC) of the City of New York, the city’s primary construction project manager is looking for a more effective way to relay communications when it comes to constructions projects on the streets of New York. On a previous note, …

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Redefining the information organisation of the Norman Sicily website

By Nishi Chitale / December 17, 2022 / News

Introduction This project was completed as a part of the Usability Theory and Practices class at Pratt. The aim was to analyse the website of the Norman Sicily project and understand any gaps in the usability of the same. The Norman Sicily Project’s website is currently in a prototype mode and was created jointly by …

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