WearWorks is a haptics design company that develops products and experiences that communicate information through teach. Their first product, WAYBAND™, is a wearable haptic navigation device that uses vibrations to guide the user to their destination. Its goal is to help provide people with a greater sense of autonomy to explore new environments, be present with their loved ones and experience their surroundings without being distracted by a device.
With a physical prototype well under way the WearWorks team needed to develop an iOS app as part of the Wayband ecosystem. The app is used to help pair and onboard visually impaired users with their haptic device. In addition to setting the destination for your device, we further developed the user experience of the app so that you could use your mobile phone as it’s own haptic guide, independent of the wearable.
The WAYBAND™ is a wearable haptic navigation device that uses vibrations to guide the user to their destination. They want to provide people with a greater sense of autonomy to explore new environments, be present with their loved ones and experience their surroundings without being distracted by a device. Through their programmed accessories and haptic language, they empower people to enjoy the journey as they safely and intuitively navigate to any walkable destination.
“As a blind person, you always strive for independence. But it’s a bit of a contradiction, because oftentimes, you’re using somebody with sight to become independent. What we’re trying to do is use this technology to really achieve true independence.”
We spent a considerable amount of time on understanding our user types and building empathy for the people we were designing for. While the app is meant to be used by anyone, identifying differences in habits, needs and pain points provided us with distinct lenses for considering potential features and revealing the needs and issues each type of user may encounter. To address designing for accessibility, a simplified UI with high contrast graphics and a well organized hierarchy / information architecture for screen readers was the emphasis in our layout.
