New study finds that the look and feel of assistive tech products are important to potential users

A new study by North Carolina State University researchers in the US found that assistive technology users often considered the look, texture and, occasionally, the smell of devices when looking at online reviews of products.

Findings detail key aesthetic characteristics that users care about as well as the language used to describe devices, which are factors that could be important for manufacturers to consider in product development.

Supported by the Wilson College of Textiles Research Opportunity Seed Fund, the study, ‘Consumer perceptions and concerns regarding aesthetic attributes of textile-based assistive devices: A qualitative analysis of online retail product reviews’, was published online in the Research Journal of Textile and Apparel.

The study’s lead author Kate Nartker, Assistant Professor of Textile and Apparel Technology and Management, explained: “Aesthetics of assistive devices are often not taken into account despite the fact that research shows one reason for abandonment is that users feel embarrassed or stigmatised by their devices.

“There’s also an assumption that users want to conceal their devices, but increasingly some want to express themselves, and need more opportunities for creativity and self-expression.”

In the study, researchers analysed online reviews of assistive devices, such as compression gloves and knee braces, on Amazon.com to look for descriptors of the products, such as colour, appearance, style, feel, smell, and sound.

Researchers analysed 1,000 reviews of a knee brace posted between 10 August 2019 and 18 March 2021, and 1,082 reviews of compression gloves posted between 27 December 2017 and 31 March 2021.

Users commented on the sensorial qualities of their devices, and most commonly made comments about their visual qualities.

One of the most common words that people used in reference to visual aesthetics was “colour,” which occurred 92 times. Some reviewers praised sellers for offering a variety of colour options, while others requested more neutral colours, as well as colours not currently available including beige, dark brown, or grey.

“Some users complained about there not being a broader range of browns,” Kate said. “It’s only recently we’re starting to see different shades of skin colour in medical products like Band-Aids.

“Our findings align with this and suggest that there is a need for more skin tone colours if people want to conceal their devices. Colour was also the one aesthetic option for each device, and users appreciated having multiple colours to choose from. I imagine if the device were offered in different patterns or textures, maybe that would have come up more.”

The researchers also noted that some users commented on their devices’ style, using that term 18 times, while the word “look” was used 144 times. Commonly, the word “look” was used to praise devices when they looked stylish and not “medical.”  Users liked it when products aligned with fashion trends.

“We had consumers who were excited that they felt the product was not read as a device from others – that the gloves looked like normal gloves and used materials they were familiar with, so they could wear them conspicuously,” continued Kate. “Devices are made to be functional, so they’re often made with industrial materials that might stick out. But consumers responded when they used recognisable materials.”

The word “smell” occurred 18 times in online reviews, primarily in a negative context. Six users said they found a disturbing smell when they opened the product packaging, which researchers said could be an indicator to designers and developers to allow for off gassing, the release of harmful chemicals from new products, when packaging materials. Users also responded when the device felt rough, scratchy, soft, or stretchy.

Kate added: “When you’re looking at tactile characteristics, it’s hard to distinguish between aesthetics and functionality. Some had a sensation of it slipping – that could also be considered a functionality issue. In terms of smell, some people noticed body odor or off-gassing when you open the product – smell is something designers often don’t take into account.”

In future work, researchers plan to dig deeper into different demographics to find out what it is about the appearance, sound, smell, or texture that do and do not appeal to assistive technology users.

Kate summarised: “This study gave us insight into how people talk about aesthetics; the language and terms are different from what is used in the field of design. It also told us that visual aesthetics was the most common feature people were concerned with, but users were also interested in texture and smell as well. Overall, this supports the argument that aesthetics need to be a bigger piece in the development of assistive devices.”