PortfolioSarah MenlaHCI case studies

Royal Holloway · Final report 2026

A study in human–computer interaction

Three web-based interfaces for children with learning differences, older adults accessing healthcare, and women with visual impairments shopping for clothing. The same HCI theories run through all three, but they are applied differently for each audience — not as one set of rules for everyone.

learn · Books
Learning platform: four book covers in a carousel, one outlined by a green selection ring.
  • Calm Mode
  • Hick’s Law
  • Low stimulation
dentacare · Home
DentaCare home: next appointment, four large tiles and an emergency call button.
  • Read Aloud
  • Fitts’s Law
  • Large targets
e-commerce · Jumper
E-commerce product page: chunky knit jumper with named colour and size choices.
  • Keyboard first
  • WCAG 2.1
  • Screen reader

Sarah Menla Supervisor Tiger-Lily Goldsmith BSc (Hons) Computer Science Royal Holloway

01 · Education

A learning space that stays calm

A low-stimulation, gamified learning platform for children aged 5 to 9, including autistic children. Books, videos, maths games and drawing, with rewards the child owns and a one-tap Calm Mode.

  • Ages 5–9
  • Calm Mode
  • Tested with 3 adult proxies
Read the case study
02 · Healthcare

Dental care, without the confusion

A patient portal for adults aged 65 and over. Appointments, treatment history, notes and X-rays in one place, with Read Aloud and an emergency call on the first screen.

  • Adults 65+
  • Read Aloud
  • Heuristic review
Read the case study
03 · E-commerce

Clothes shopping, without sighted help

An e-commerce platform for women with visual impairments, built for keyboard and screen reader use first: named colours and sizes, fabric and fit in words, and every action announced.

  • Built for screen readers
  • Keyboard first
  • WCAG 2.1 audit
Read the case study

Approach

One process, three very different audiences

Research before pixels

Each product starts from a persona grounded in published research. The learning platform also drew on a short survey.

Theory, not taste

Hick’s and Fitts’s Laws, Nielsen’s heuristics, Gestalt principles, cognitive load theory and WCAG 2.1 justify each decision.

Designed for the edges

Fewer, calmer choices for children; larger targets and plain language for older adults; everything in words for women with visual impairments.

Honest evaluation

The learning platform’s tasks were tested with three adult proxies, after a short survey of four children. DentaCare had a heuristic review, and the e-commerce platform a heuristic review and a WCAG 2.1 audit.