KISD graduate Chiara Heiligensetzer has received an iF Design Student Award this year. The internationally renowned award recognises outstanding student projects that demonstrate innovative design and social relevance.
Her award-winning bachelor’s thesis, “FÜHLEN”, is an accessible board game for blind, visually impaired and sighted people. The project was developed at KISD with the support of Dr Philipp Bojahr from the Cologne Game Lab. It explores how tactile, auditory and visual design can contribute to an inclusive gaming experience. Its aim is to enable people with different levels of vision to play together on equal terms and to reduce barriers in analogue gaming.
The game combines a tactile game board featuring a range of surface textures with haptic tasks and game pieces designed to be identified by touch. All playing cards feature both Braille and standard print and are additionally equipped with NFC tags providing audio descriptions. The game was developed through a user-centred process in close collaboration with blind and visually impaired testers, whose feedback was continuously incorporated into the further development of the prototype.
The jury praised “FÜHLEN” as a concept that could serve as a benchmark for inclusive design in the board game industry. It offers visually impaired people a sophisticated tabletop experience without compromising its entertainment value.
Supervisors
Prof. Dr Lasse Scherffig (Interaction Design)
Dr Philipp Bojahr (New Media in Museums)
Photos © Chiara Heiligensetzer