Universal design: lessons for wearable computing

When we as developers and designers create a system that requires user interaction-whether it is computer software, a kitchen appliance, or a door knob-we often fall victim to a common mistake: we use ourselves as the model for our system\´s potential users. Even developing for an "average user" is a pitfall that results in numerous users whose needs are overlooked. The average user might account for the largest spike under a bell curve, but nonaverage users account for a much larger percentage of the general population. Additionally, the number of people possessing all of the average attributes being considered in a design is very small. So, the designers\´ goal should be to broaden the section of the bell curve that their system targets. This concept is called universal design, and it\´s especially important in wearable computing because using a system while mobile and while in different environments can have a major effect on its usability.