[ Service Design ]
Doublepoint
ClientDoublepoint
ContextIDBM Industry Project (7 months)
FocusService Design, Accessibility, Wearable XR
Tech & Tools
[Double Diamond][User Interviews][Prototyping][Business Modeling][Touch SDK]
[ Overview ]
During the IDBM Industry Project course at Aalto University, our interdisciplinary team collaborated with Doublepoint, a startup specializing in touch detection technology. Our goal was to find innovative, accessible applications for their wearable sensors — specifically to enhance independence for individuals with fine motor disabilities.
The Design Process
The 7-month design process involved an immersive exploration of the startup and XR industry landscape, followed by user needs discovery and research on inclusive technologies.
Our team conducted global industry immersion trips to California and Tokyo, engaging with professionals and attending XR-related events. We concluded that while the XR industry is heavily dominated by big tech, there is a massive unserved niche market in accessibility.
Applying the Double Diamond framework, thorough field research and interviews were conducted with seven diverse user groups and associations. Thematic analysis revealed three main design directions for the touch technology: Independent home life, Safety alerts, and Learning/Rehabilitation.
Evaluating Solutions
We evaluated our three core directions against desirability, feasibility, and viability:
1. Smart Home
Controlling smart home environments using wrist gestures. Concerns about the cost barriers and financial accessibility deemed this solution unfeasible for our target demographic.
2. Safety Alerts
Pinch-to-trigger emergency alerts. We found this faced heavy challenges integrating with the wider medical service system, rendering it unfeasible for a startup timeline.
3. Rehabilitation
Utilizing the touch technology in gamified rehabilitation. Deemed the most desirable, feasible, and viable solution after careful evaluation with users.
The Pivot & Innovation
Fine motor skills, crucial for tasks requiring dexterity and hand-eye coordination, align perfectly with Doublepoint's touch detection sensor. The design challenge became:
"How might Doublepoint's touch detection technology make people with fine motor disabilities more independent?"
The Solution: Gamified Physiotherapy
[ For the End-User ]
We designed a gamified physiotherapy concept where users with fine motor disabilities carry out their daily exercises by playing a game. The game is controlled dynamically with specified hand gestures (like pinches or clenches), tracked entirely by a standard smartwatch running Doublepoint's touch algorithm.
The algorithm is heavily customizable, meaning the system can register a "clench" even from users with very limited muscle power. We prototyped this tap-based game and showcased it at events like the Impact Gala and Service Design Day, receiving highly positive feedback.
[ For Doublepoint (The Business Model) ]
The business model revolves around licensing the Accessibility Touch SDK to game developers and physiotherapy platforms (like Rehaboo). This allows B2B clients to integrate touch detection into their own physiotherapy experiences, without Doublepoint needing to develop the games themselves in-house.
Because the SDK already targets the Unity game engine, pushing it toward accessibility features creates a rapid go-to-market strategy that bypasses the saturated consumer mobile gaming space.
