Manasi Vaidya’s Post

This morning, I volunteered to be an industry judge at the ‘Applied Science Student Showcase’ organized by the One8 Foundation (formerly MASS Stem Hub). I was assigned several projects based on my background and job, but I was particularly impressed by a group of 6th graders from Roberta Doering Middle School. Their innovative projects were designed to assist children diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and others undergoing therapy to enhance their hand-eye coordination. These young students developed a persona, shared their initial sketches, articulated their problem statement, and refined their ideas through multiple iterations to create a product that truly benefits their persona. They thoughtfully considered the user's preferences, ensuring the product made their user happy, and was both enjoyable and practical. It was inspiring to see such enthusiasm for creating inclusive products from such young students. Their work gives me hope for a future led by leaders who might prioritize creating products for improving experiences and the quality of life for people with disabilities. When I was chatting with them at their project tables, I told them a little bit about the importance of digital product accessibility, sharing some recent efforts we have been taking at MathWorks to improve the experiences for screen-reader users and those with impaired vision. Witnessing these fresh and positive perspectives taken by Middle and High School Students for solving significant societal challenges was incredibly motivating. #AppliedLearning #One8ALHub Mass Learning Project #PLTWorg OpenSciEd #PLTWorks #STMath #GAAD #Accessibility #W3 #a11y #MATLAB #MathWorks #InclusiveDesign

Our research paper, "Informed Adoption of Smart Products: A User-Centered Approach to Privacy Communications and Impact on Product Use," authored by myself and my colleagues from the MIT AgeLab, is being published at the 2024 Design Research Society’s (DRS) Conference! In this study, we explore the intersection of data privacy and smart home technologies, focusing on the preferences and perceptions of adults aged 50 and older. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating privacy communications into product development early on, shaping a more sustainable and user-centric technological landscape. I hope that the insights and guidelines we've uncovered will empower designers and developers to create smart home products that not only meet user needs but also foster trust and longevity. This paper holds a special place in my heart as it stems from my master’s thesis. I look forward to sharing it once it becomes available for reading. Please HMU if you are attending the DRS conference this year in Boston, I would love to connect! Design Research Society (DRS) #DRS2024 #Usability #DesignResearch #SmartHome #Privacy #Research #UserExperience #MIT #AgeLab

On November 8th, I conducted a workshop on ‘Creating Accessible Interfaces for Older Adults: An HCI Approach’ at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) ASM (Annual Scientific Meeting) in Tampa, Florida. There were 24 participants in the workshop, and we had really good discussions around ways to enhance web-accessibility for older adults and everyone’s experience with the same in their respective organisations. It was a 4-hour workshop and I was a little nervous about how I would talk for so long. But it all went well with Sophia Ashebir’s help, who co-instructed the course with me. At other conferences I’ve attended, I’ve found myself hunting for sessions that have papers related to aging, older adults and technology, and web-accessibility. But here at GSA, every paper was about at least one of the above topics I’m passionate about. It was almost as if every lab, company, organisation that was presenting was some version of the MIT AgeLab ♥️ This workshop was only possible because of all the help, support, and guidance I received from my advisors at the MIT AgeLab: Lisa D’Ambrosio, PhD; Dr. Joseph Coughlin, and Chaiwoo Lee, PhD ✨ #Aging #WebAccessibility #OlderAdults #MITAgeLab #UserExperience #InterfaceDesign #gerontology