Deaf & Design

joachim · 06-21-2007, 01:23 PM

Hello!

My name is Joachim Lapiak, and I am a Hard of Hearing individual from a Deaf family. I recently graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Design degree in Visual Communication Design. I recently started my own business, Lapiak Design Inc., that's focused on providing graphic design services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community worldwide.

I have a few general questions for forum users:

1. How important is design to you, and how has it influenced you in your daily lives?

2. How important is design to the Deaf community? Do you feel there needs to be more awareness?

3. How do you feel about the current design in the Deaf community today? Do you think improvement is needed?

4. What are some of the biggest design problems you have experienced?

For those who are not familiar with visual communication design, or would like more information about how design improves accessibility, usability and communication, please take the time to read over my printer-friendly PDF guide, called Deaf & Design at: http://www.lapiakdesign.com/deaf_and_design.pdf

I'm committed to improving the lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing everywhere with visual communication design. Thank you for your time responding to the above questions. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to ask me!

Darkfar · 06-27-2007, 05:33 PM

sooy

shel90 · 06-27-2007, 05:44 PM

I am a teacher so I rely on visual cues and design to teach my deaf/hoh students. I wonder if u are involved in designing websites that will be deaf-friendly for small children? So many of the educational websites involves listening and following directions or have so many words on one page which can be overwhelming for our students who are just learning English in print.

1. How important is design to you, and how has it influenced you in your daily lives?

Design is important to me for my job when it comes to websites generated for educational purposes.

2. How important is design to the Deaf community? Do you feel there needs to be more awareness?
I am not sure what u mean by that...more awareness about designing in the deaf community?
3. How do you feel about the current design in the Deaf community today? Do you think improvement is needed?
I dont know..

4. What are some of the biggest design problems you have experienced?

Need printed forms of emergency announcements in public places.

joachim · 06-29-2007, 06:31 PM

Hi shel!

I am involved with web design, and I take information design, web standards and accessibility very seriously. I'm doing a lot of research involving web standards, where the end result is accessibility for all individuals, especially for the blind.

For children, I've done studies on how typography affects children, and how children can learn best through the proper use of language and, as you said, visual cues. There are a lot of bad websites out there, definitely, and I'm hoping there will emerge a trend to realize how much of an important role design can be for children. Do you have a website or educational resource that you're currently maintaining?

As for the awareness question, what I mean is, are the Deaf community aware of design as in understanding what design means, the importance of it, and how it can play a positive role in society?

06-21-2007, 01:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
joachim Designer Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 29	Deaf & Design Hello! My name is Joachim Lapiak, and I am a Hard of Hearing individual from a Deaf family. I recently graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Design degree in Visual Communication Design. I recently started my own business, Lapiak Design Inc., that's focused on providing graphic design services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community worldwide. I have a few general questions for forum users: 1. How important is design to you, and how has it influenced you in your daily lives? 2. How important is design to the Deaf community? Do you feel there needs to be more awareness? 3. How do you feel about the current design in the Deaf community today? Do you think improvement is needed? 4. What are some of the biggest design problems you have experienced? For those who are not familiar with visual communication design, or would like more information about how design improves accessibility, usability and communication, please take the time to read over my printer-friendly PDF guide, called Deaf & Design at: http://www.lapiakdesign.com/deaf_and_design.pdf I'm committed to improving the lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing everywhere with visual communication design. Thank you for your time responding to the above questions. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to ask me! Last edited by joachim; 06-21-2007 at 01:41 PM.

06-27-2007, 05:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
shel90 In a pink and black world Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: In the land of the free Posts: 24,014 Blog Entries: 3	I am a teacher so I rely on visual cues and design to teach my deaf/hoh students. I wonder if u are involved in designing websites that will be deaf-friendly for small children? So many of the educational websites involves listening and following directions or have so many words on one page which can be overwhelming for our students who are just learning English in print. 1. How important is design to you, and how has it influenced you in your daily lives? Design is important to me for my job when it comes to websites generated for educational purposes. 2. How important is design to the Deaf community? Do you feel there needs to be more awareness? I am not sure what u mean by that...more awareness about designing in the deaf community? 3. How do you feel about the current design in the Deaf community today? Do you think improvement is needed? I dont know.. 4. What are some of the biggest design problems you have experienced? Need printed forms of emergency announcements in public places. __________________ Shel~ "A child educated only at school is an uneducated child." -George Santayana

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06-27-2007, 05:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Darkfar Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 7	sooy

06-29-2007, 06:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
joachim Designer Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 29	Hi shel! I am involved with web design, and I take information design, web standards and accessibility very seriously. I'm doing a lot of research involving web standards, where the end result is accessibility for all individuals, especially for the blind. For children, I've done studies on how typography affects children, and how children can learn best through the proper use of language and, as you said, visual cues. There are a lot of bad websites out there, definitely, and I'm hoping there will emerge a trend to realize how much of an important role design can be for children. Do you have a website or educational resource that you're currently maintaining? As for the awareness question, what I mean is, are the Deaf community aware of design as in understanding what design means, the importance of it, and how it can play a positive role in society?