3D Click™
Abacus for children with low or no vision
Assistive Device Design
Design For Manufacturing
User-Centered Design
3D Click™
Assistive Device Design
Design For Manufacturing
User-Centered Design
Abacus for children with low or no vision
Highlights:
100+
Copies Sold
Perkins Official Educational Resource
Presented at Amsterdam Tactile Reading Conference 2025
Highlights:
100+ Copies Sold
Perkins Official Educational Resource
Presented at Amsterdam Tactile Reading Conference 2025
Context:
Designing for blind and low-vision children means every sensory decision carries weight. When a braille picture book for young readers needed a hands-on math companion, the brief called for a four-row abacus that didn't yet exist on the market, one scaled for children, tactile enough for users with no vision, and visually optimized for those with low vision. High-contrast yellow and black colorways weren't aesthetic choices; they were functional ones. The product also had to be fully 3D printable, durable enough for children, and the component architecture was strategically planned so that parts running on separate printers could be produced in parallel, then quickly sorted and assembled to minimize production time and error at volume.
Role:
As the sole designer on the project, I took the product from brief to production-ready. My work covered concept development, iterative prototyping, tactile system design, and user testing. A mechanical engineer later added a clicking rod mechanism before the design went to manufacturing, a refinement that built on the established tactile foundation.
Constraints:
Three constraints shaped every decision. First, the entire product had to be manufacturable through 3D printing. Second, it needed to withstand daily use by children. Third, and most critically, every tactile choice had to be meaningful and usable for people who would rely entirely on touch This meant assumptions had to be tested, not assumed.
Process:
The process started with the Cranmer abacus as a functional baseline, as I was redesigning its logic for a different user and context. From there, I developed sketches exploring how to compress the form while preserving usability. Texture exploration was central to the work: I tested multiple surface treatments to find combinations that were distinguishable by touch, printable without support structures, and durable over time. Iterative prototypes went through hands-on testing with visually impaired users, whose feedback refined bead geometry, rod spacing, and tactile clarity. The assembly system was designed specifically to support consistent output at production volume.
Process:
The process started with the Cranmer abacus as a functional baseline, as I was redesigning its logic for a different user and context. From there, I developed sketches exploring how to compress the form while preserving usability. Texture exploration was central to the work: I tested multiple surface treatments to find combinations that were distinguishable by touch, printable without support structures, and durable over time. Iterative prototypes went through hands-on testing with visually impaired users, whose feedback refined bead geometry, rod spacing, and tactile clarity. The assembly system was designed specifically to support consistent output at production volume.
Outcomes:
The product is actively sold, with over 100 copies in the hands of families and educators. Its inclusion in a Perkins educational kit brought it into one of the most respected institutions in blind education globally. Exhibition at the 2025 Amsterdam Tactile Reading Conference placed it in front of an international community of tactile literacy specialists. What started as a local makerspace commission became a recognized tool in blind education with real reach. I’m very happy to have been a part of this project!
Website designed by Jenny Hegelein
© 2025 by JenHeg.com. Built on Wix Studio
About
Contact
New Jersey Based
About
Contact
New Jersey Based
Website designed by Jenny Hegelein
© 2025 by JenHeg.com. Built on Wix Studio