Designable Toolkit foar Designûnderwiis by Bruno Oro

Designable Toolkit foar Designûnderwiis by Bruno Oro is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award yn Brûns in Ûnderwiis, Learmiddelen en Trainingsynhâld Ûntwerp Competition Category.

BrûnsÛnderwiis· 2026

Designable Toolkit foar Designûnderwiis

by Bruno Oro

Client: Designable

A' Design Award yn Brûns Winner in Ûnderwiis Category

7,193
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #178031

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Designable Toolkit foar Designûnderwiis

Designable is in edukative toolkit dy't makke is foar designstudinten. De toolkit befettet 97 metoadekaarten dy't ynklusyf en empasydreaun tinken stimulearje. Elke kaart biedt in metoade, in oantrún of in senario dat brûkersûnderfiningen simulearret, ynklusyf dy fan minsken mei in beheining. De kaarten mjitte 80 by 150 millimeter en binne printe op 350 gram net-coate karton foar taktyl gebrûk. In spesjaal ûntwurpen opbergdoaze is 3D-printe yn PLA mei ynterne skiedingswanden. In digitale ferzje is publisearre as in tagonklik PDF-bestân. De kaarten kinne allinnich of yn teams brûkt wurde yn elke designfaze.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award yn Brûns

Designable Toolkit foar Designûnderwiis is in winner fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns, in heech prestisjeuze erkenning foar treflike ûntwerpen dy't har ûnderskiede troch kreativiteit, fernuft en tûkens. Brûnswinners binne tige feardige en opfallend kreative artefakten dy't de grutte ûnderfining, ferbylding en betochtsumens fan har ûntwerpers befêstigje. Fan Designable Toolkit foar Designûnderwiis wurdt ferwachte dat it in tige heech achte, bewûndere en dierber objekt is dat opmerklik profesjoneel en ynnovatyf is. Dit winnende ûntwerp fan de A' Design Award yn Brûns yntegrearret de bêste praktiken yn keunst, wittenskip, ûntwerp en technology en is treflik om syn omtinken foar detail. Designable Toolkit foar Designûnderwiis foldocht behoeften prachtich, reitsjet winsken, betsjoeveret gefoelens en sprekt nijsgjirrigens oan.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: An educational toolkit composed of 97 method cards designed to foster inclusive, empathy-driven thinking in design students. The cards simulate user experiences, particularly of people with disabilities, guiding reflection and design decisions. Developed with healthcare and industry partners, the toolkit uniquely bridges participatory research, pedagogy, and inclusive design methodology.
Dimensions & Packaging: Each card measures 80 mm (width) × 150 mm (height) × 3 mm (thickness), printed on 350gsm uncoated cardstock for durability and tactile usability. The full set of 96 cards is housed in a custom storage box 3D-printed in PLA with internal dividers for organization.
Tags: Inclusive Design, Empathy Methods, Design Education, Participatory Design, Design Toolkit, Accessibility, User-Centered Design, Disability Inclusion, Universal Design, Educational Tools
Production Technology: The toolkit was developed through iterative design methods including stakeholder interviews, co-design workshops, and classroom testing. Visual assets were created using Figma, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Prototypes were printed on 350gsm uncoated cardstock for tactile usability. Digital versions were published as accessible PDFs to ensure open access and scalability.
Design Challenge: The greatest challenge was translating complex, real-world experiences of disability into accessible, reflective tools without oversimplifying or stereotyping. Balancing academic rigor, ethical sensitivity, and design clarity required extensive iteration. Time and resource limits also delayed planned app development and animations, despite strong interest and visual readiness.
Research: This design-led research aimed to embed inclusive thinking in design education. Using mixed methods, we developed and tested 97 empathy method cards through classroom pilots. Data was collected via student surveys and reflections. Participants were undergraduate design students working with real-world partners. Results showed increased empathy, design confidence, and awareness of user diversity, impacting how students approach inclusive design in practice.
Inspiration: This project was inspired by the need to address the lack of empathy and inclusive thinking in early design education. Drawing from research in participatory design, disability studies, and inclusive pedagogy, the toolkit was developed to help students engage with marginalized users’ experiences and design more responsibly. Collaborations with healthcare providers and industry partners further shaped its practical and ethical foundations.
Project Duration: The project began in January 2024 and was completed in December 2024 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, United States. It was developed as part of an academic research initiative focused on inclusive design and was piloted in studio-based courses in collaboration with external partners. The project was later disseminated through academic presentations and open-access publication.
Operation Flow: Users select cards based on project needs or curiosity, each offering a method, prompt, or scenario that encourages reflection and inclusive thinking. Cards can be used individually or in teams during different design phases. Their tactile format invites physical engagement, while the digital version supports easy access. The structured yet flexible flow helps users uncover blind spots and design with greater empathy and awareness.
Image Credits: Bruno Oro, Subinay Malhotra