Final Project: Jayine Nguyen

Project Description 

This is a digital presentation of the HeartShare survey, featuring illustrated stock images and GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) with alt-text. The GIFs are animated loops depicting actions related to the survey questions. These visuals aim to help survey participants better understand and relate to the questions, enabling them to provide more informed responses. 

Documentation 

Click to download the PowerPoint of the survey

Reflection Questions

Why did you choose this modality?

• I chose to make each icon into a GIF because I’ve been really into Motion Graphics. I believe this format makes information more engaging and easier to understand by adding visual movement and animation.

Which elements of the original did you keep, if any? Why?

• When translating the survey questions into Plain Language, I kept some of the questions somewhat to the original because it was already easy to understand. I also kept how the images and the icons are presented together because I think having both can help the survey interviewees better understand the content of the survey.

Which elements of the original survey did you change? How did you change them? Why?

• I revised how the survey is presented to interviewees for clarity and a better experience. When a survey question has a follow-up, I separate them into two parts. This ensures the interviewer asks the original question first, and only after the interviewee responds does the follow-up question get introduced. I believe this approach helps reduce feelings of overwhelm for interviewees by avoiding multiple questions being presented at once, allowing them to focus and provide thorough answers.Additionally, I grouped questions closely related to a set of images or icons on the same slide. This way, interviewees can read the questions while processing the visuals, which helps them better relate to the questions and think through their responses more effectively.

Post-evaluation reflection

Did you get the information you wanted?

• Yes! I really appreciate how they challenged me to think deeper about the icons and offered me a fresh perspective on them. I especially struggled with the Future Goals and Goal Setting icons because goals are not tangible objects but rather a process and the sense of achievement someone experiences.

Do you feel that certain elements of your redesigned survey worked for you in eliciting information?

• Yes! I think my initial designs for the Future Goals and Goal Setting icons were, as HeartShare folks said, a bit of a stretch for neurodivergent individuals to understand, and even for neurotypical people, the meaning wasn’t immediately clear. With their suggestions, I believe my redesigned icons are much better. The use of stairs feels more relatable because they represent a familiar, day-to-day concept—progressing step-by-step to reach the flag—rather than a mountain with a flag on top, which could be misinterpreted as a travel destination. Since these two topics, Future Goals and Goal Setting, are connected, incorporating stairs in both icons effectively conveys a sense of progression.

Do you think that certain elements worked against you in discovering information?

• No, I don’t think so.

Is there anything you would change or add to your survey for a next iteration of it, based on feedback from HeartShare?

• If I were to continue this project, I would love to fully develop the survey into an app or website that individuals can complete on their own. With more time, I’d also like to illustrate the images myself to make them look more cohesive.