Where it all began...

OnCue began as my master’s thesis in Integrated Product Design at TU Delft, a project made possible through a collaboration with ParkinsonNederland, a foundation that raises funds and invests in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.

They were the ones who identified a common challenge for people living with Parkinson’s: interacting with computers, and more specifically, with keyboards. An object that most of us use almost every day without thinking about it can become a real barrier for some.

The idea that something designed to be a tool — a bridge between the physical and digital worlds — could instead become a closed door really stayed with me. It made me want to dedicate my graduation project to finding a solution and designing specifically for people with Parkinson’s.

At the beginning of my thesis, my knowledge of Parkinson’s was still quite general. The more I learned, the more I became aware of its complexity and understood the need for a holistic approach, with a strong focus on personalization and modularity.

I was initially asked to focus on bradykinesia, the slowness of movement associated with Parkinson’s, and to explore cueing techniques: external stimuli that can help initiate and support movement. But as I began gathering insights through a questionnaire, it quickly became clear that bradykinesia was only one of many other symptoms. Tremor and muscle stiffness also played an important role. This made me realize that cueing alone would not be enough. I needed to look at the keyboard as a whole, and combine these techniques with a highly ergonomic and adaptable design. That’s why I chose to redesign the keyboard rather than replace it with something completely different. I didn’t want people to have to relearn the way they already interact with a computer.

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Through focus groups with people living with Parkinson’s, I tested different prototypes and cueing approaches. Step by step, their insights shaped the concept and eventually led to the development of a hand-wired, full-size keyboard prototype, laying the foundation for what would become OnCue.

Thanks for reading,

Alessandra