An investigation into appropriation of portable smart devices by users with aphasia

As part of ongoing research we analysed user experience of a group of people with aphasia by applying the Technology Appropriation Model. Appropriation is defined as the way in which users adapt the functionality of technology to suit their needs, often in ways the designers would not have predicted. Currently over 250,000 people in the UK and 1,000,000 people in the US have aphasia. We discovered that Appropriation analysis can be a useful tool for requirements analysis of software, especially in cases where the user has trouble communicating about abstract or imagined scenarios, as is the case for many with Aphasia. We also discovered that Appropriation often stems from the user not knowing the full capabilities of the device or what applications are already available.