AUGMENTING HEARING
Mobile app for hearing augmentation. At Fennex, I was one co-founder of the project. As a product designer leader, I was responsible for the design process across cross-functional areas (product, branding, and marketing).
MY ROLE
Since the outset of the project in December 2016, I cooperated with UX professionals on the main interfaces' design, such as hearing test and hearing results.
Together with the team, we build a shared vision, and I led the prototype version for the presentation to investors.
Early sketches of the Fennex App flow.
Early sketches of the User flow diagram.
THE GOAL
Our goal was to turn the Apple AirPods into a hearing aid to enhance the social experience while overcoming challenging listening situations with the best audio experience for everyone and everywhere.
USE CASES
Without pre-existing insights, I partnered with the team driven by a project manager on exploring and researching relevant use cases.
THE AUDIO CHALLENGE
Before I jumped into designing, I defined the optimal audio experience for consumers by calibrating Airpods/Earphones and testing them in a real situation based on the determined use cases.
Testing hearing devices and understanding hearing test with a professional audiologist (left). Airpods calibration for an optimized hearing test and fitting (right).
HEARING TEST EFFORTLESS
The hearing test was the core feature of the app. Based on the pure-tone test, we were able to measure the sensitivity of a person’s hearing. With a professional audiologist, we studied every single step of the hearing test, and we compared the results of the audiograms between Fennex app and the audiologist. The outcome of the comparison was outstanding:
- Non-invasive hearing test
- Accuracy
- Speed (about 5 min instead of the standard 20-30 min)
Not only a potential diagnosis; the test highlights the severity, type, and configuration of hearing loss too. Instead of simply amplifying the volume, thanks to the amount of data produced, we were able to boost and normalize each frequency where there was an identified loss detection, and auto fit the user, using different hearing protocols.
In MedTech startups, especially in the mobile app world, most of the app in the market can give only a diagnosis due to technical limitations. With Fennex app, there was a more comprehensive vision; diagnosis + treatment with a reduction of cognitive loads (mental pressure) for the final user.
DESIGN WITH, NOT FOR
Especially, in this case, the user was under the spotlight. It was crucial to know their pain points, feelings, and expectations with the app. A "Learn methodology" helped us create order, continuously learn, and collect meaningful insights.
Testing and prototyping in small groups of users allowed us to develop features' ideas and immediately validate new concepts and ideas.
We tested the Fennex app with the defined target audience. Our goals were to understand the challenges and journeys faced by the elderlies.
PERSONAL LEARNINGS
At Fennex, I had the opportunity to learn about the entire design process, from concept through completion.
Every day, I appreciated the importance of team collaboration and ongoing user feedback while working with a user-centric approach that improved their daily experience with the product.
The most important thing for hearing impaired people using Fennex was the "sound experience". The team's main challenge was to reduce users' effort to understand the many technical and complex aspects of hearing loss and give them excellent sound experience in difficult listening situations. All that, without going through a considerable amount of frequencies and audio settings.
Throughout the process, I could experience how technology can improve people's lives. I learned that a designer has succeeded when users interacting with a product are made safer, more comfortable, or just plain happier.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Led the design of Fennex app across iOS, WatchOS and Web since the outset of the project;
- Led efforts to evolve the service and address customer pain‐points;
- Partnered with a project manager and one UX designer to uncover insights and translate concepts into features in line with customer behaviours and motivations;
- Created frameworks and prototypes to align vision, design principles, and content strategy. This helped to evangelize ideas and drive effective decision making;
- Developed wireframes, prototypes, and design specs.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Crucial support of the design function in improving the audio and usage experience, especially when "Noise reduction" and "Anti-feedback" features were introduced in the app. Moreover:
- Fundraising $1M seeding funds;
- Awarded best-rated / fastest-growing hearing app in 2017;
- App review on MIT Technology | HearingReview | Audiology World News| Business Insider|
- 100k beta user (at the soft launch, first year) + 50k users (organic growth without investment);
- +200 positive reviews and an increase from 4.5 to 4.7.
NEXT
Copyright © 2021 Andrea Di Berardino
Copyright © 2021 Andrea Di Berardino