My Role
User experience design
Interaction design
Interaction design
Support on ux research, design, implementation
Challenge
GN Resound is a company who makes hearing aids. They approached us to help them design a solution for people who suffer from tinnitus*.
Thus our challenge became:
How can we help people that suffer from tinnitus - within the client domain of hearing aids and sound therapy?
*Tinnitus is often referred to as ringing in the ears. It cannot be cured but different management approaches can help people habituate to their tinnitus.
Process
First we needed to understand what it is like to live with tinnitus and how it can be managed.
We researched online tinnitus forums, interviewed patients and talked with experts within tinnitus and audiology.
I did a pre-bodystorming exercise to get an idea of what it feels like to live with tinnitus. I downloaded a sound of tinnitus to my phone and spent the day with headphones listening to that horrible disturbing sound.
This made me realise why people who are perfectly mentally healthy can break down just within two weeks after getting tinnitus.
After generation all this information about the people suffering from tinnitus we started creating concepts that would help them use sound therapy to manage their tinnitus.
We invited the client and specialist to review and refine the concepts and ultimately did a dot vote on the best ideas.
After this the process of creating a complete concept began. Followed by a wireframing, prototyping, testing and developing.
Solution
- The app enables the user to mix their on sounds in so called sound scapes.
- The app will distract the user by attracting them into a universe of sound, color and light therapy.
- The app contains a distraction element of bubbles that can be popped implemented directly into the UI. Distraction will help the user refocus and forget about their tinnitus.
- The app tracks sound usage so the user can see which sounds work best
Download the app
All sketches and wireframes are created by me. The final graphic designs are made by my good colleagues.
The design process
Quotes from people with tinnitus. This highlights the struggle and pain people with severe tinnitus must live with before habituating to their tinnitus.
Sounds commonly used with sound therapy management.
Pre-bodystorming. I am getting an understanding of how it feels to be suffering from tinnitus by playing a common tinnitus sound in my ears for a day. I was completely wiped out after the exercise. Tired, headache, sore in my body, irritated.
Initial brainstorm of concepts.
I am explaining the concepts to client and tinnitus experts.
Refining and dot voting on the concepts.
Wireframes, design and prototypes
Home screen. The soundscape mixes the user has created float as big uobbles that can be stopped and played by a single tap. With this screen small bubbles float. They can be tapped to give a from of distraction - kind of when you op the bubbles of bubble plast (which was the inspiration).
1. Mixing a sound scape. 5 sounds can be mixed together with adjustable volume.
2. Music library to add sounds form.
3. Adding color to your sound mix to get an immersive experience. For instance adding blue when you listen to your ocean. If the user adds blue the entire app will shift to blue colors when listening to that particular ocean sound scape.
A mash up of screens.
Final design. This shows a green edition of the app.
Moodboard to communicate the bubble feel we wanted to integrate in the home screen of the app:
- gravity
- soap bubbles floating in the air
- popping bubbles
- snow flakes twirling in a snow globe
This helped communicate to the client, developers and users what we were envisioning.
Based in this we created a motion video that would bring the concept to life.
Motion video that brought the concept to life and helped us communicate the idea to clients, developers and users.
