“Dot Pad is more than just a product; We would love to commit to ourselves to bringing disruptive change to this community.”
'Touchable content' has become an indispensable part. Through Dot Pad, visually impaired individuals can experience visual information such as drawings, charts, and graphs through Braille and tactile sensations. Moreover, they can create content in real-time whenever and wherever they want.
Dot's vision is to "Make our world accessible, dot by Dot." From Dot Pad to Accessible Dot Kiosk, Dot is assisting in connecting more users across various fields by utilizing Dot display.
In aiming for visually impaired individuals to have richer and more diverse experiences with charts, tables, graphs, and illustrations, Dot has set up a specialized Task Force team(TF team) to create tactile graphics in various categories.
"We need more Content, can you make it ASAP?"
Since Dot Pad and Dot Canvas hit the market, people from around the world have been reaching out to us almost every day, requesting the creation of new and diverse content.
'Can this game be made accessible for the visually impaired?"
'Can I check the constellation I was born ?'
'I'd like to check the map of the Grand Canyon; can it be created as a tactile image?'
Creating images in various fields such as education, games, culture, and tourist maps, utilizing the tactile display of Dot Pad, to make it more intuitive for visually impaired individuals to perceive, is the core mission of this TF Team.
As we craft tactile graphics, we ponder not only what additional details to include but also what parts to leave out for simplicity. These steps require quite more creativity than we thought.
Our ultimate aim is to break down barriers among current various types of content, making it accessible to everyone. When elements like braille, tactile graphics, and sound seamlessly come together, we believe it unfolds a new world for individuals with visual impairments.
Introducing the Dot Contents TF team!
To meet the demand for creating the content customers desire, we've formed the Content Team. With a long-term vision, we continuously share ideas and strive to produce diverse and meaningful content, both in quantity and quality.
At the helm is our team leader managing content, alongside marketers collecting insights from meetings with visually impaired students and teachers. We also have developers specializing in researching and developing tactile cells, designers creating straightforward materials, and experts in visual impairment. Together, our main focus is on creating tactile graphic content and enhancing the overall value of the these graphics.
This is how 'content' is created.
We start by listening to our users' needs. Then, we plan and design graphics for Dotpad, gathering feedback from testers and making detailed improvements based on their input. Of course, we add voiceovers, audio descriptions, or alternative text. Here are some steps we have taken:
1) Planning,
- Identify your audience: Clearly define your audience based on the specific tactile graphics you are creating, taking into account different levels and user needs.
- Select Content: Decide on the type of content to include in the tactile graphics, such as braille, text, sound, vibration, etc.
- Choose the Braille display method: It's crucial to determine the Braille display method for tactile graphics. Decide how to transform printed graphics or images into meaningful expressions, such as deciding whether to use a multi-line or single-line.
2) Making Guidelines,
- Make a Guideline draft: Make clear rules so that everyone creating content follows the same design principles and methods. This makes sure users have a similar experience and get consistent results.
- Define Workflow and Role: Clearly explain the jobs and steps each person has in the project. Specify roles, outlining who creates and reviews specific tactile graphics.
- Review Feedback Process: Have a phase where you check the work and let users give feedback early in the project. This helps find and fix any issues or make things better quickly.
3) Utilizing Dot Canvas:
To create tactile graphics, we make use of 'Dot Canvas.' It's a tool that allows us to freely generate and edit content using the pad, empowering users' creativity and enhancing efficiency in content creation. Check out a brief video of the Dot Canvas awarded at CES 2024!
4) Sharing through Dot Cloud:
Once we design graphics and share content through Dot Cloud with other users. This service includes features like image conversion and Braille translation using AI. Users can download and check graphics on their Dot Canvas app.
What is the first project in Contact TF?
> Check out this video! It's a special project by our content team called "The Ugly Duckling." We worked together to make it super easy for everyone to enjoy. The video includes cool things like touchable pictures, background music, and even voices telling the story. It could be a short but really fun fairy tale experience!
What is the goal of Content TF in 2024?
> While lots of folks know our Dot products are top-notch, we understand that not everyone may know how to utilize them well. That's why we're on a mission to show real-life examples of how Dot Pad can make a difference in your everyday life. We prepare for all sorts of needs in education, careers, rehab, and more to suggest what might be the best way to approach them.
Although the process of creating content step by step might feel like a journey, our vision is to make Dot Canvas full of intriguing accessible content for visually impaired users all over the world.
What is the most memorable event so far?
> In November of last year, teachers at the Seoul School for the Blind expressed a need for teaching materials centered around tactile graphics, aiming to offer hands-on experiences for visually impaired students instead of relying heavily on text-based content.
During our research, we closely examined how tactile graphic materials were used on Dot Pad, along with supplementary resources, and observed teachers engaging in interactive lessons with students. This experience was immensely helpful in devising the content guidelines and strengthened our resolve to bring forth a more varied range of content.
To open up countless opportunities, from tactile exhibits in museums and artworks to creating tactile textbooks, Dot Content TF dreams of a bigger goal. Dot Canvas is here for reading or drawing, ensuring easy and equal access to information and content. With that, we are working on creating more content to make Dot Pad even more vibrant and dynamic. Stay tuned!