Design With Equality

‘Every body is different but no body is the same.’ Aware of her ignorance of life with physical disabilities, Viki Oh sought to redefine the relationship between designer and user. Working with Margriet (limited hand dexterity), Omar (low vision) and Eunbin (blind), she designed four items that let them enjoy a cup of tea. Finger gloves to hold the spout while pouring, a wooden balance to signal when to stop pouring, a hanging cup for hands-free sipping, and a tactile tablecloth for ‘wayfinding’. She also developed a methodology to stimulate interaction, letting the disabled steer the process. Here the designer is not the expert, but an individual who draws on the rich knowledge of collaborators in a balanced relationship.