First draft

After having designed a first sketch of our toolkit, we tried to work on this base to improve it and reflect more on some point. The first question was to know how is this idea relevant for the use by blind people. How can we design the sticks to have a pleasant manipulation? How can we fix the rope to the sticks easily for a blind person?

We have thought of a lot of way to implement the libraries inside of our toolkit. How can we combine the libraries of samples (smells, records, materials) with our board? In a first time we thought that we can differentiate physically the libraries and the board but just using both in the same time by touching the board with one hand and experimenting the samples with the other hand. But then we tried to solve the problem and combine both by putting the samples on the board directly thanks to other kind of sticks.

We tried to build our first idea physically to have a first experience. We made it with the foam and we saw very quickly that it's really complicated to attach the rope through and around the sticks. In addition it's very difficult to found landmarks.

After we have thought of an other toolkit, in cardboard (More resistant) to solve the problem of the foam.

To replace the grid composed of wooden sticks we designed a fix grid made by slits in the cardboard which allow to insert pieces of cardboard in it and have something easier to manipulate and more stable than sticks.

Then, we drew different pieces (with different textures, shape...).

These pieces come on these slits to create lines, curves or angles.

First test on foam, we have seen very quickly that it will be not enough resistant to be tested and experimented by exterior people (Blind or not).

We made a draft model with small pieces of foam cardboard and it was very easy to feel the spaces but we need to integrate that in a grid to have a scale and a support.