UX Study from a Universal Design Perspective -Focusing on the Role of BI in the Improvement of the Fire Extinguisher -

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The government made the installation of fire extinguishers in residential areas a mandatory requirement in 2012. The resulting increase in demand caused a haphazard distribution of many types of fire extinguishers with extreme variation in logos, colors, and appearance making it difficult for residents to identify the extinguishers quickly and easily during emergencies. Furthermore, many people were reportedly unable to use the familiar red, rugged fire extinguishers because these extinguishers were placed outdoors – not indoors – to avoid having their red color clash with facility interior design. This study follows the universal design perspective and highlights the importance of the user experience when developing a brand identity to produce a safe and effective fire extinguisher for use in residential areas. The study consists of three stages. First, it reviews and introduces the universal design, user experience, and brand identity theories to provide a logical foundation for design development in the later stages. Second, the study conducts literature research on fire extinguishers, in general, and on those in current circulation to allow development of a design strategy. Third, the study applies the BI system to the design strategy to design new residential fire extinguishers. This third stage also describes the prototyping process, through 3D simulation, and the subsequent release of the resulting fire extinguisher design to the market. This study shows how BI, informed by UX and UD, developed a clearly identifiable fire extinguisher by using character-style symbolic logos that combined the visual features of a fire extinguisher, its pressure gauge and handle, and an image of fire. BI also effectively conveyed the visual features of the fire extinguisher to the user while applying a universal color for both ease of recognition during low-visibility and to aid brand loyalty through a warm user experience.