Social Camouflage - Poster for the Chartered Institute for Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) Conference 2019

Supporting poster presentation created by Karl Hurn for the conference paper "Social camouflage: a survey of 143 students of their preference for assistive technology cutlery and the visual mechanisms being influenced" that won the best paper award at the Chartered Institute for Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) Conference 2019 (Stratford upon Avon).

The paper and the poster explore the concept of social camouflage in design, particularly in products like cutlery for individuals with limited grip strength. While camouflage has long been used in military and artistic contexts, designers often learn social camouflage heuristics informally. This study provides theoretical principles and validates them with evidence. A survey of 143 students used a semantic differential (SD) scale to assess the perceived medical appearance of various cutlery designs. Eye-tracking analysis with eight students revealed that high-contrast visual elements diverted attention from the actual shape of socially camouflaged cutlery. Despite the product's commercial success, survey results placed it closer to a medical aesthetic than a desirable one.