Bose_

Bose Hear app with SoundControl™ Hearing Aids

I helped create a mobile app with state-of-the-art signal processing to benefit the widest possible range of an individual's hearing abilities. The app contained IntelliSense™ to suggest personalized settings by listening to the acoustic environment, analyzing your preference history, and suggesting appropriate settings to the user.

south
Product brief_

Hearing shouldn't come at a premium

Over 5% of the world's population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their 'disabling' hearing loss. But unfortunately, the majority of solutions available are unaffordable to most. Bose needed help to guide them through the FDA process and bring an over-the-counter solution to everyone.

View product site for more info arrow_right_alt
Expertise_
Product lead, UXD, IxD, and UXR
Platforms_
iOS, Android
Project date_
January 2016
Position held_
Director of UXD and Human Factors
Guiding Bose through their first FDA approval project
The challenge_
Create a "Fisher-Price simple" app for people with unique hearing needs.
The outcome_
A connected app that allowed people to enjoy their listening experience without hindrance.
The project began by interviewing a series of audiologists from Bose and MIT to understand the technology they wished to present to potential users. Our discussions lead to a breakdown of three main components or critical features of the app.
After refining the feature sets, I developed a series of prototypes to help with user testing of the audio controls and presets. It was imperative to conduct the tests with real users who suffered from various hearing complications, diverse backgrounds, and age brackets. In addition, testing showed us that while the software was highly sophisticated, the user interface needed to be "Fisher-Price simple."
Using human factors and ergonomics principles, I designed a mobile app with a simple user interface allowing for one-thumb user interaction. The application's unique algorithm listened to the person's environment and automatically adjusted the earpiece microphones' tone, volume, and directionality so they could enjoy their listening experience.