This page sets out my plan for testing the integrated airport accessibility system in a real travel environment. I am preparing to install the app on my iPhone and will have the opportunity to evaluate it during an outbound and return flight. Rather than presenting this as completed usability research, I want to establish in advance what I intend to observe, how I will collect feedback and how the findings will inform further development before I consider an App Store submission.
How effectively does my integrated app, wearable heart-rate monitoring and bone-conduction audio support an autistic traveller's independence, navigation and sense of control during an actual airport journey?
My Critical Report identified the importance of clear, contextual information and assistance that remains optional. This test will help me examine whether those principles translate into a usable experience outside a prototype demonstration. It will also expose practical constraints, including flight-data availability, positioning accuracy, device setup, connectivity and the possibility of too many prompts.
I will be travelling with a friend who identifies as an autistic traveller and who previously completed my research questionnaire. She will be invited to take part in a separate, voluntary usability test. Her earlier questionnaire participation does not automatically constitute consent for this activity. Before testing, I will explain what I intend to observe, what notes I plan to keep, how I may use anonymised findings in my Studio Practice, and that she can decline, pause or stop at any point without affecting our travel plans. I will confirm that the proposed testing and documentation comply with my university's ethics and consent requirements, particularly because wearable and location information can be sensitive.
This will be an exploratory test with one participant, not a representative evaluation of autistic travellers generally. My relationship with the participant and the demands of a real journey may also influence her feedback and behaviour. I will acknowledge those limitations rather than treating the observations as evidence of universal effectiveness.
The test will use the app, Fitbit and bone-conduction headphones as one connected system. The headphones are already linked to the app, and I have developed wearable and navigation functions; however, I still need to confirm that the complete system operates on my iPhone in the conditions of travel. Before departure I will install the current build on the phone, check permissions, pairing, audio output, battery life, internet access, flight lookup and the ability to dismiss prompts. I will also establish what happens if data or location services fail.
I will make sure that using the headphones does not prevent the participant from hearing airport announcements or speaking to staff. Neither the app nor its directions should override airport signage, official information or staff instructions. The testing must not delay boarding or interfere with security procedures.
I will give my friend a short, consistent introduction to the purpose of the app and how the wearable and headphones connect. I will explain how to stop the test and dismiss support prompts, but I will avoid walking her through every screen or showing her which buttons to press. This reflects a realistic first-use scenario in which someone understands why they downloaded an accessibility app but still needs to discover how its interface works.
After the introduction, my friend will operate the system herself while I observe. I will provide help if requested or needed for safety, and record when that happens. The aim is to understand whether the design supports independent use, not to turn a necessary journey into a test of endurance.
During the first airport journey I will observe how my friend enters or retrieves flight information, interprets updates, follows directions and responds to information delivered through the headphones. I will pay attention to hesitation, repeated actions, requests for clarification, moments when the app is ignored in favour of airport signage, and any situations where the system becomes confusing or distracting.
I also want to examine the Fitbit-based support interaction: whether the device is connected, whether the prompt appears when its configured conditions are met naturally, whether the wording is understandable and whether she can comfortably dismiss it. I will not deliberately induce a high heart rate or distress to force an alert. If a prompt does not occur, that will be documented as part of the test rather than manufactured.
I will keep brief, time- or stage-linked notes when it is practical and safe to do so. I will distinguish what I directly observed from what my friend later tells me she experienced. I will avoid unnecessary recording of identifiable travel details, continuous location traces or raw heart-rate histories.
Once we are through the journey and have time to reflect without pressure, I will ask a short set of open questions. I want to understand which features felt useful, whether any instructions were unclear, whether the audio was comfortable, whether prompts felt supportive or intrusive, and whether she felt able to make her own decisions. I will also ask what she would change or remove. I will allow her to describe experiences in her own terms rather than assuming that an observed pause or increased heart rate indicates anxiety.
I will record her comments with permission and separate direct quotations from my interpretation. Any quotations used in the Studio Practice will follow the agreed consent arrangements.