Article

User Personas: Smart Speakers, Home Automation and People with Disabilities

Rapid adoption rates of smart speakers and home automation and control devices, and predicted strong future growth requires ongoing research to understand and anticipate the needs of consumers with disabilities. This paper uses quantitative and qualitative survey research data to develop "personas" for consumers with one of six disability types -- limited dexterity, limited mobility, low vision, blindness, hard of hearing, and deafness. Personas are research-based fictional characters developed to represent different user types that might use a service, device or other product in a certain way. They help designers and engineers understand user needs, experiences, behaviors and goals in a more personal way than lists of features and needs. The quantitative data show moderate rates of adoption of smart speakers (38%-54%) by all six disability types except deaf respondents (who have low rates of adoption), and substantially lower rates of adoption for smart-home devices (outlets, light switches, thermostats, etc.). Qualitative data reveal primarily five dimensions of feelings or impressions by owners of smart speakers and smart-home devices: fondness/enjoyment, inspiration/wonder, utility/convenience, usability/accessibility, and safety/security. From these data and our analysis one persona is summarized for each of the six disability types.

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