PROJECT
Designing and Rethinking Accessibility for Block Languages
Introduction
One of the most common ways a student is first introduced to a programming language is using a block language. However, block languages do not fully bridge the learning gap to a text-based language. Block Languages are simple by default and not overwhelming on purpose, which leaves for limited use-cases for professionals. What if there was a middle ground? Competing with MIT’s Scratch and Microsoft’s MakeCode, Quorum Language is presenting enhancements to improve the block language feature while maintaining a general use case. Quorum’s block language was intended to alleviate the anxiety students face while learning how to program, promote accessibility, and be used as any text-based language in hopes to be have an easier time learning computer science concepts
My Role
For this project, I was the lead product designer tasked to design and develop the online block editor, the block palette on Quorum Studio, and redesign the physical blocks to as a solid competitor to Scratch and Makecode.
Company Goals
Create a block language competitive to popular languages such as Scratch or Makecode
Have a block language be fully accessible
Have both students and professionals easily switch from block to text-based language
Pioneer methods for professionals to use block languages in professional programming
Make Programming Accessible.
Quorum Blocks is an on-going evidenced based project to ease programming anxiety and continue the longevity of using a block language in programming. Research indicates that the transition from block languages to a text based language proves to be more difficult, however block languages are powerful tools for individuals easing into learning how to program. By bridging the gap between block and text, professionals and students can simultaneously interchange between the two.
