Design Beyond Vision
Exploring the potential for a multi-sensory perspective through design, while creating a common ground for understanding and dignity.
What is Design Beyond Vision?
A design and research project by Simon Dogger and Boey Wang that encourages to look further than what you can see, developing new toolsets in design education and companies. Through experiment, design research, reflection and analysis, the two designers have developed a methodology for creating accessible solutions and thinking tools for the people who are capable and incapable of seeing, increasing the life quality for the minority and questioning the generally visually-dominated design practices.
A collaboration between Simon Dogger & Boey Wang
The duo of designers present an inclusive story themselves. One is blind and another one can see, one is Dutch and one is Chinese. Through the sense of touch, they are showing to the design field an intuitive design approach based on translating pain and fears into functions and education.
Simon Dogger
Simon Dogger (1977, the Netherlands) is a conceptual designer working on product design projects within the innovative and inclusive domain. In his early life, he travelled a large part of the world by bike and lived in the Middle East and Japan, leading to a deeper knowledge of cultures and an empathic and human-centred approach. He lost his vision during his design education and he dropped from school. By returning four years later, he graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2017. He won the Dutch Design Award in the year 2020.
Boey Wang
Boey Wang (1990, China) is a narrator at heart, drawn to stories – or rather, the attempt of capturing – mundane moments in life that are too often overlooked, responding to them with a unique, humanistic touch. People in the vulnerable and minority positions always captured his attention and were designed with empathy and responsibility to challenge the generalisation in society and ordinary life. He graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2020. His works have received the iF Design Talent Award, and James Dyson Award, and were long-listed for the Dezeen Awards, among others.
Design Beyond Vision is an intuitive design approach that connects visual and non-visual worlds through the sense of touch.
The Method
As an influential design method, the two are creating a validation system to bring it to a different level. Their design processes were based upon user-expert research that analysed the unique desires and demands of the visually impaired, and how these constraints compel them to use materials and shapes in new and innovative ways. Physical sensation, rather than visual perception, are the design guideline.