Integrity of Message Model
A practical research project, the Integrity of Message Model (IMM) is a design prototype; intended to highlight information about breakdowns in the communication of impaired people with Complex Communication Needs. A simplified character was designed and placed in the centre of the device as a persona ‘responsible’ for the propagation of the message to be tested.
Concept Development
The process to develop the IMM moved from divergent through to convergent sketched concepts. This process is described as moving from idea conception to design refinement, then actualisation. Divergent sketches started with an exploration of possible sizes and shapes, with subsequent drawings looking at potential product features.
Mock-up experimentation
A variety of simple paper prototypes were made, as simply built examples of the designs’ interactive properties. While the built prototype can provide user testers with one example of possible construction and materials, other concept sketches and low-fidelity paper constructs can also be examined and manipulated by participants testing these in future.
Final Artefact
The IMM is a diagrammatic interpretation of the communication act. In addition to the static, two-dimensional representation of these features, the new model is interactive; users can change parameters to affect the visual look of the sent message represented therein. The model shows various degrees of a message’s effectiveness, also revealing information about the type of interference affecting a message.
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