Brian Carter
BFA Industrial Design
The University of Kansas (2003)
Bachelor of Fine Arts - KU
Aura Thesis
Aura: a portable digital reader developed with a universal and user-centered design approach. User research and evaluation of current products, including Talking Book Materials from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, identified a frequently asked user question: Why are playback machines so bulky and large? This approach also looked at the whole reading task: How, Why, Where, and What people read, and how a solution might be more portable, less intrusive to the activity, and/or controlled with a specialized interface for individuals with highly specific needs. To avoid intimidating beginning users, there are only seven buttons on the wireless phone shaped device. Of those, six are direct reading tasks.