Dr Wendy Keay-Bright

Reader, Inclusive Design
e: wkbright@cardiffmet.ac.uk
t:  02920416609
w: www.reactickles.org / www.somantics.org

Specialist Subject Areas

Participatory Design
Inclusive Design
Interaction Design
Interactive Arts
Graphic Communication
Digital Storytelling
Animation
Autism and computers

Qualifications

PhD
BA (hons) Graphic Design

Biography

I am currently Reader in Inclusive Design at Cardiff School of Art and Design, my key areas of research are in design ethnography, participatory design with marginalised groups and affective computing – or more precisely : studying interaction that is dynamic, social constructed and experienced, and which avoids trying to formalise the un-formalisable. My background is in Graphic Communication and Animation, and the work of animators who have discovered powerful forms of mediating experience through the expressive use of abstract form, movement and technology have been a powerful influence throughout my career, which includes teaching, professional practice and research. My most recent research activities in this area have been practice-led, action research projects undertaken with children with autism spectrum conditions, many of whom experience profound anxiety and do not communicate using verbal language. For this group, the scientific, information processing approach to modeling, supporting and augmenting human activity, rarely leads to the understanding of communication as a personally constructed, creative act of expression. The most commercially successful output of this research has been ReacTickles, a software product and print resources, available worldwide through a major education software distributor.

Whilst my research explores human-to-human social interactions with young people on the autism spectrum, through real-time performances, of particular interest has been the desire to enable the user/player to choreograph physical input with abstract visual and musical outputs. The notion of performance is intended to promote a sense of personal presence and to illuminate the presence of others, effectively amplifying the most tentative of movements into a highly visceral exchange. In contrast to technology interventions that use virtual reality and social networking to augment communication, my work aims to place interaction in the here and now, as the very essence of the experience. I do not aim to generalise experience, as is often the goal of behaviourist approaches to intervention, rather, I see each experience as something unique, individual, and a property of the phenomenological conditions that constitute experience. My interest in technology, therefore is to augment and render these experiences visible. Although inspired by philosophical perspectives on phenomenology and perception, my research has a distinctly practical application. My practice-led approach has encompassed a variety of contextual studies that experiment with simple, affordable everyday technologies as a way to encourage creative and critical exchanges between designers and end-users. The outcome is to provoke discussion and ideas, rather than to seek a solution to a problem.

As such, I adopt a minimalist approach to design, allowing the user to add their own complexities by removing cognitive stress and placing the user/player at the heart of a playful interface.

Interdisciplinarity is a core feature of 21st century design practice. I therefore acknowledge the contributions of many practitioners, researchers and children in the development of my work. Being awarded significant funding and sponsorship from NESTA, the National Film Board of Canada, Apple Computers and Smart Technologies, early ion in my career has enabled these contributions to be fully supported.

Current research

Current interdisciplinary projects include

• Creating Tools for Touch, with OpenFrameworks and the Touch Trust.This project developed interactive performance spaces, triggered by sound and movement, that complimented a touch and movement therapy programme.

• ECHOES, Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) project is designed to improve children’s social interaction through exploratory learning in a multimodal environment. ECHOES is funded by the ESRC and the EPSRC. The project involves interdisciplinary partners from 8 major UK Universities and includes the target population of children with high functioning autism and typically developing children in the design of the system. For more see www.echoes2.org

• Multi Coloured Music Magic, funded by the Rayne Foundation and Cardiff Metropolitan University (UWIC) Research and Enterprise Fund. The project is developing interactive technology applications for children with Autism Spectrum Conditions. The work is an extension of the ReacTickles concept and uses bold, abstract, cause and effect interfaces to elicit highly personal, expressive performances. Inputs include gesture, sound and touch. The project is based at a Special Education School in South Wales and involves co-creation with Openframeworks, staff and children. For more see www.reactickles.org

Principal Publications and/or Exhibitions

Click here to view Dr Keay-Bright’s papers and publications on Cardiff Metropolitan University’s DSpace repository.

Keay-Bright, W. Howarth I.C., (2011) Is Simplicity the Key to Engagement for Children on the Autism Spectrum, Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, Theme Issue on Technology for Autism, Springer March/April DOI: 10.1007/s00779-011-0381-5

K. Porayska-Pomsta, C. Frauenberger, H. Pain, T. Rajendran, T. Smith, R. Menzies, M. E. Foster, A. Alcorn, S. Wass, S. Bernadini, K. Avramides, W. Keay-Bright, J. Chen, A. Waller, K. Guldberg, J. Good, O. Lemon  (2011) Developing Technology for Autism: an interdisciplinary approach, Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, Theme Issue on Technology for Autism, Springer, March/April DOI: 10.1007/s00779-011-0381-5

Keay-Bright, W. Lewis, J.G., (2011) Co-Creating Tools for Touch: applying an inspire-create-play-appropriate methodology for the ideation of therapeutic technologies, Include, 2011 proceedings ISBN 978-1-907342-29-5

Frauenburger, C., Good, J., Keay-Bright, W. (2011) Designing Technology for Children with Special Needs – Bridging Perspectives through Participatory Design, CoDesign (in press)

Frauenburger, C., Good, J., Keay-Bright, W. (2010) Phenomenology as a Framework for Participatory Design, PDC 2010 Sydney Australia

Othman, F., Keay-Bright, W. (2010) Using Rotoscopy Technique to Assist the Teaching of Handwriting for Children with Dyspraxia, ACHI 2010

Keay-Bright, W. Martin A., (2010) Designing Inclusive & Playful Technologies for Pre-School Children, Designing for Children, IIT Bombay Conference Proceedings, 2010

Good, J., Guldberg, K., Keay-Bright, W., Porayska-Pomsta, K. (2010) ECHOES II: the creation of a technology enhanced learning environment for typically developing children and children on the autism spectrum Journal of Assistive Technologies, Volume 4, Issue 1

Keay-Bright, W. (2009) ReacTickles: Playful interaction with Information Communication Technologies, The International Journal of Art & Technology, 2, 1/2, pp.133-151

Keay-Bright, W. (2008) The Reactive Colours project: Embodied Technologies, Creativity and Special Education. The Future of Creative Technologies, Volume 1, ISSN 1757-7934, pp.18-21

Keay-Bright, W. (2008) ReacTickles Global: A Non-Textual Mobile & Networked Play Space. Proceedings Participatory Design Conference, CPSR/ACM, Indiana University ISBN 978-0-981856-0-

Keay-Bright, W. (2008) “ReacTickles Global: Can mobile technologies encourage playful social interaction?”, Journal of Assistive Technologies, Vol. 2 Iss: 3, pp.42 – 45 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1932429

Keay-Bright, W. (2008) ‘Tangible technologies as interactive play spaces for children with learning difficulties: the Reactive Colours project’, The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society, Volume 4, Issue 1, pp.111-120

Keay-Bright, W. (2007) ‘Can computers create relaxation? Designing Reactickles software with children on the autistic spectrum’, CoDesign, 3, (2) 97 – 110

Keay-Bright, W. (2007) Designing playful sensory experiences with interactive whiteboard technology: the implications for children on the autistic spectrum

Keay-Bright, W. (2007) Dancing with Disorder: Design, Discourse and Disaster: 7th European Academy of Design Conference: Published conference proceedings

Keay-Bright, W. (2007) The Reactive Colours project: demonstrating participatory and collaborative design methods for the creation of software for autistic children.

Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal, Volume 1, Issue 2, pp.7-16

Keay-Bright, W. (2006) Reactivities: Autism and Play. Digital Creativity, 17, (3) pp149-156

Keay-Bright, W. & Freeman, D (2004) Futureground, Monash University, Published conference proceedings volume 1 ISBN 0975 6060

Selected International Conferences, Workshops & Invited Lectures

2011 CoCreating Tools for Touch, Include, 2011, Royal College of Art, London, UK

2011 Repetition, Rhythm and Reaction: exploring everyday technologies for Child-led Social Inclusion. SCOPE Victoria. Melbourne, Australia

2011 Playfulness as a Trigger for Child-led Social Inclusion: what can technology offer, National Autistic Society, National Professional Conference, Delivering Excellence in a Time of Austerity, Manchester Central Convention Complex, UK

2011 Repetition, Rhythm and Reaction: making the ordinary extraordinary University of Dundee, School of Computing, Scotland, UK

2010 Applying Principles for Best Autism Practice in the
Development of a Technology Enhanced Learning Environment for Children on
the Autism Spectrum. Future for Autism IX International Congress Autism-Europe, Catania, Italy 2010

2010 Phenomenology as a Framework for Participatory Design, PDC 2010, Sydney Australia

2010 Design for Play, Design for All, SCOPE Victoria. Melbourne, Australia

2010 Design for Play, Design for All. Design for [every]one Conference, Howest University, Belgium

2010 ECHOES: Improving Children’s Social Interaction through Exploratory Learning in a Multimodal Environment. NASEN: BETT2010

2010 ECHOES: Improving Children’s Social Interaction through Exploratory Learning in a Multimodal Environment. The Education Show, NEC, Birmingham

2009 Autism Today: Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh

2009 Inclusion & Personalised Learning with Interactive Whiteboard Technology, BETT2009

2009 ‘By Us, For Us, About Us’ Children and Young People’s Festival of Participation of Research, Cardiff

2009 3rd International Conference on Design Principles and Practices: Berlin, Germany

2009 NASEN, Understanding and Supporting the Child on the Autistic Spectrum, Devon, UK

2008 10th Computers for Social Responsibility Participatory Design Conference, Indiana, USA

2008 Sparkle and Shine, Sharing Excellence in Multi Sensory Practice, London

2008 e-Inclusion, King College, London, UK

2008 Buckinghamshire SENConference, England, UK

2008 Third International Autism Conference, Cardiff, UK

2008 4th International Conference on Technology, Knowledge and Society, Boston, Mass, USA.

2007 Dancing with Disorder: Design, Discourse and Disaster: 7th Conference of the EAD at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Izmir University of Economics,Turkey

2007 1st International Conference on Design Principles and Practices: Imperial College London.

2006 Second International Autism Conference, Cardiff.

2006 Awares’ Online Autism Conference

2006 MindPlay, Design Research Society, London Metropolitan University.

2005 Integrated Media Gaming and Augmented/Virtual Reality Approaches to Autism Treatment Interventions, Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio, USA

2005 Autscape 2005, Bath, UK

2004: First International Autism Conference, Cardiff.

2003 Broadening the Band: Association of Internet Researchers 2003, Toronto, Canada.

Awards

2011: Best Innovation in Inclusive Design, Include 2011, Royal College of Art, UK

2007: Design Principles and Practices International Award for Excellence in the Design field

2007: Winner of the Innovative New Forms of Socially Responsive Media category in the MIPDOC Content 360 competition at MipTV, Milia, Cannes, France

2007: Finalist Wales Leadership Awards Leadership in the Public Sector.

2006: Design Wales Showcase: Reactive Colours

2006: Finalist-Welsh Woman of the Year Awards: Woman in Science and Technology.

2006: BECTA ICT Excellence Award Short-listed

2006: Tech Museum Awards: Short-listed for a Tech Museum Award in the US

2006: S4C National Charity Awards: Winner Autism Cymru Wales Autism

Award

Enterprise Projects and/or Industrial links

Somantics, funded by the Technology Strategy Board.

ReacTickles, distributed by British Learning International, TAG and Inclusive Tecchnologies in the UK, Sherston US  in US and Spectronics in Australia

Modules Taught

ADX 408, Masters Intermediate Project

ADX409 RESEARCH SEMINARS

ADG104 Narrative & Communication

ADG301 CREATIVE INFORMATION

ADG310 REAL WORLD

ADG303 THE BIG IDEA

Supervision of Doctoral Research(titles or broad areas of investigation)

Wearable Technologies

Design for Visually Impaired

Interaction Design for Dyspraxia and Coordination Difficulties

Responsive Environments and Embodiment