ABHISHEK VIRMANI
Mr. Balaji Rengarajan
abhishek_virmani@nid.edu
This graduation project, in collaboration with Walmart Global Tech, reimagines digital commerce to serve diverse user needs and abilities, focusing on accessibility for visually impaired shoppers. Early research revealed gaps in product reviews, which were often inaccessible, impersonal, and irrelevant, prompting an inquiry into how user-generated content shapes trust and decision-making. The project identified systemic barriers to authorship and engagement, leading to a design framework addressing both review consumption and creation through features like persona-based filters, WAR Cards, and gamified dashboards. Insights from usability testing highlighted the importance of community, inspiring the concept of review-based micro-communities where users with shared contexts (e.g., visually impaired, elderly living alone, first-time students) can connect and share insights. This approach transforms reviews from isolated data into communal trust ecosystems, fostering empathy, belonging, and social validation. The project shifts the focus from accessibility as a technical solution to designing inclusive, participatory, and human-centred digital experiences that strengthen engagement and community.