Bean: A tool for Music Therapists: An Assistive Musical Technology for use in Music Therapy
Author
Kirwan, Nicholas John
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-03-15
Pages
81
Abstract
Denne afhandling beskriver design- og udviklingsprocessen for Bean, et håndgribeligt musikinstrument til brug i musikterapi. Bean er et fysisk objekt, man kan holde og betjene; samspillet bygger på bevægelse, hvor handlinger giver direkte lydrespons (enaktiv interaktion). Den første udformning var ergonomisk og fulgte principper for Inclusive Design for at rumme en bred vifte af evner. En modulær opbygning og hurtig prototypering med laserskårne dele og en Arduino-mikrocontroller gav en fleksibel prototype til brugervenlighedstests. En deltagerbaseret, brugerdrevet evaluering undersøgte især, om Bean var enkel og intuitiv at bruge, og om den var relevant som værktøj i musikterapi; andre designelementer blev også vurderet. En certificeret musikterapeut, flere grupper af klienter med komplekse behov samt pårørende og personale deltog. Der blev gennemført tre testsessioner over to dage med i alt 22 deltagere (13, 7 og 2 klienter). Resultaterne peger på, at Bean er et relevant supplement til musikterapeutens værktøjskasse. De fleste oplevede Bean som enkel og intuitiv, men den manglede noget fleksibilitet for personer med komplekse fysiske behov. Der var også bred enighed om, at Bean var sjov og fornøjelig at bruge.
This thesis describes the design and development of Bean, a hands-on musical instrument for use in music therapy. Bean is a physical object you can hold and manipulate; interaction is movement-based, where actions produce immediate sound feedback (an enactive approach). The initial design was ergonomic and followed Inclusive Design principles to accommodate a wide range of abilities. A modular build and rapid prototyping with laser-cut parts and an Arduino microcontroller produced a flexible prototype for usability testing. A participatory, user-centered evaluation examined whether Bean was simple and intuitive to use and whether it was relevant as a music therapy tool; other design aspects were also assessed. A certified music therapist, several groups of clients with complex needs, and family and staff members took part. Three test sessions were conducted over two days with 22 participants in total (13, 7, and 2 clients). Findings suggest that Bean is a relevant addition to a music therapist’s toolkit. Most participants found it simple and intuitive, though it lacked some flexibility for people with complex physical needs. Participants also agreed that Bean was fun and enjoyable to use.
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