Tactile understanding of time : Designing an aid for people with congenital deafblindness

This report presents a master’s thesis in Integrated Product Design at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), conducted during the spring of 2025. The project was commissioned by the Swedish National Resource Centre for Deafblindness (Nkcdb). The purpose of the project was to develop a deeper understanding of the everyday challenges faced by individuals with congenital deafblindness and to use these insights to contribute to improvements in their daily lives. The project began with a background study in which relevant literature was reviewed. This was followed by a qualitative investigation, consisting of interviews with professionals working in the field of deafblindness, as well as with parents of children with congenital deafblindness. In addition, two contextual observations were conducted to further deepen the understanding of the target group. The results from the interviews were analysed and categorised into key themes. Insights from the background research and interviews formed the foundation for idea generation and subsequent concept development. The concept development process was iterative and included continuous dialogue with experts in the field of deafblindness to ensure that the proposed solution was well suited to the needs of the target group. The project resulted in Time Buddy, a conceptual time aid designed to support individuals with congenital deafblindness by improving their sense of time. The device aims to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, especially during unstructured periods or sudden activity transitions, by fostering a greater sense of predictability in daily life.