We are an independent research group exploring how flow-centred design empowers blind people
We use flow as a measure of accessibility to investigate how blind people achieve their goals; when fully immersed in work, play, and problem-solving.
We envision a world where everyone has the opportunity for social and economic participation, ensuring that disabled individuals are included and benefit from personal and professional growth. To that end, we believe that accessibility should go beyond reducing barriers—it should create the conditions for clarity, agency, and joy. Our work aims to reframe the role of technology: not merely to be usable, but to enable intuitive, immersive, and empowering experiences that induce a sense of flow for everyone.
Our work is currently funded by Project27 Consultancy Group C.I.C. We translate our research into impact through Project27 Solutions.
Research Themes
Though the specifics of our work continue to evolve, everything we do is in pursuit of a central research enquiry: How do blind people enter and sustain states of flow in problem-solving, work, and play? What barriers and enablers does flow-centred design mitigate and reinforce, mediated by accessible tools designed with both blind and sighted users in mind?
Representational Systems & Productivity Tools
We investigate how blind people use data visualisations, diagrams, mind maps, mathematical expressions, code editors, to-do lists, calendars, or budgeting software for making sense of datasets and cognitive off-loading during complex tasks.
Collaborative Work
We compare how sighted and blind colleagues experience flow in work related collaborative tasks, such as data analysis, vibe coding, or document editing, to develop inclusive design principles for technology mediated collaborative work and shared experiences.
Constructive Play
We study play experiences and imaginative skills of blind people through activities, such as building LEGO sets, solving logic puzzles, playing turn-based strategy games, and metaphorical simulations of natural phenomena, . We intend to understand how individuals construct mental models and induce a sense of flow, interacting with abstract ideas, long-term strategy, or large-scale objects beyond direct sensory reach.
Tactile Interaction
We co-design and evaluate tactile interactions with blind and sighted people alike, which facilitate clear, engaging, immersive learning experiences through the sense of touch.
News
Keep up with the latest news about our work and our people.
Hello world! We launched our website
The Flow & Interaction Group is excited to launch our new website. We built it to make our work easier to discover, follow, and share, by students, collaborators, and anyone curious about how blind and sighted people experience flow during interaction with tactile interfaces, screen reader accessible representational systems and productivity tools, as well as play.