God man i fickan : Involving people with cognitive impairments in participatory design activities

Sammanfattning: Background: Technology can provide efficient and accessible solutions to manage private economy, taking into account user needs and experiences. People with disability are most likely to encounter challenges related to financial literacy and lack of access to their own money. The project God man i fickan in Sweden aims to develop an accessible application that supports people with difficulties handling their private economy. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate basic functions and interactions in a digital tool used by people who cannot manage their own economy without some kind of assistance. Method: Participatory design activities involving people with cognitive impairments were utilized. The qualitative data collection included discussions, storyboarding and an online design session. Due to Covid- 19 we had to modify one workshop for online environments. The collected data was analyzed with a content theme analysis which then was visualized and refined iteratively through wireframes and a lo-fi prototype. Results: The study revealed a number of user values, reflecting user needs, and a number of key features that should be supported by the application. A heuristic evaluation of the lo-fi prototype showed that using a provocative object engaged the participants in critical reflections and discussions. Discussion: By involving people with cognitive impairments in the design process through participatory design activities, the methodology used in this study allowed them to influence the design and application functionalities.