Figma
Mohawk College 2023
For anyone who comes around a Deaf person and thinks, “How can Deaf people enjoy music? Deaf people cannot hear it the same!” True and not true.
“Some hear it, some see it, some feel it.”
- Shaheem Sanchez
Some social and cultural factors that affect the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community could be music festivals, parties, careers in dance/music, and general interest in listening. For hearing people, they listen through their ears, but Deaf people have a gifted way of listening through vibration, sign language, pitch and/or timbre.
So how do I plan to create a solution? I decided to create an app that uses different methods to help everyone experience music their way.
“Some hear it, some see it, some feel it.”
- Shaheem Sanchez
Some social and cultural factors that affect the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community could be music festivals, parties, careers in dance/music, and general interest in listening. For hearing people, they listen through their ears, but Deaf people have a gifted way of listening through vibration, sign language, pitch and/or timbre.
So how do I plan to create a solution? I decided to create an app that uses different methods to help everyone experience music their way.
research - Literary analysis
Deaf Dancer - Shaheem Sanchez
Deaf Dancer - Shaheem Sanchez
Deaf Musician - Myles de Bastion
ASL Interpreter - Amber Galloway Gallego
ASL Performer - Justine Miles at Super Bowl
Explains Spotify’s current barriers and what could be done to improve accessibility for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing.
- Easy access to equalizer settings
- Visual beat
- Pop-up lyrics and captions
- Specialized playlists
- Easy access to equalizer settings
- Visual beat
- Pop-up lyrics and captions
- Specialized playlists
Shaheem Sanchez is a Deaf dancer who talks about his method of feeling music's vibrations to learn a song.
- Starting ASL dance trend (signing music while dancing)
- “Go to a concert, you can feel it. Boom, boom. Deaf people can feel it too, they don't have to hear the words. We can all vibe together.”
- Starting ASL dance trend (signing music while dancing)
- “Go to a concert, you can feel it. Boom, boom. Deaf people can feel it too, they don't have to hear the words. We can all vibe together.”
When Deaf people make a playlist, what does it look like? Apple has collaborated to make Apple Music's first-ever playlist curated by Deaf people inspired by the Apple Original Film CODA.
- “Some hear it, some see it, some feel it.”
- “For hearing people, those signals [sound] come from the ears. For Deaf people, those signals can come from the whole body.”
- “Some hear it, some see it, some feel it.”
- “For hearing people, those signals [sound] come from the ears. For Deaf people, those signals can come from the whole body.”
Myles de Bastion is a Deaf musician who invented the Audiolux visualization system.
- A visual sound system that helps people hear the music by seeing it
- Audio transfers to LEDs to create a light show
- A visual sound system that helps people hear the music by seeing it
- Audio transfers to LEDs to create a light show
Amber Galloway Gallego is one of a growing number of ASL interpreters that specializes in the performing arts, specifically music.
- Amber improves music interpretation to make it more expressive and understandable
- Amber explains her “special knack” for interpreting hip-hop acts
- Amber improves music interpretation to make it more expressive and understandable
- Amber explains her “special knack” for interpreting hip-hop acts
Miles shares her story with "The View" after she made history as the first deaf woman to perform at the Super Bowl pregame and halftime shows.
- Justine answers honest questions about the Deaf community
- Justine answers honest questions about the Deaf community
research - Competitive analysis
Audiolux - Light show
Monaural - Unilateral listening
Shazam - Song detection
Spotify - Lyric reading
New Monaural features (unilateral listening)
- Playback mode
- Ambiance
Lyric reading
- ASL/English preferences
Light Show (like Audiolux)
- Visual sound system
- Playback mode
- Ambiance
Lyric reading
- ASL/English preferences
Light Show (like Audiolux)
- Visual sound system
Shazam feature
- Detecting songs
- Personal hard-of-hearing fave!
- Detecting songs
- Personal hard-of-hearing fave!
Social networks for the Deaf community (like AllDeaf)
- Friends, connections
- Share playlists
- Friends, connections
- Share playlists
Storyboard & wireframe sketches
featuring
SHAZAM
- Can’t hear a song? Hear a song you like but don’t know it? Shazam it!
- Great existing app for those who have trouble hearing a song, and those who want to discover songs
- Can’t hear a song? Hear a song you like but don’t know it? Shazam it!
- Great existing app for those who have trouble hearing a song, and those who want to discover songs
NOW PLAYING
- Background: light show - to move with every song you play (shapes, etc.)
- Audio setting button - for sound adjustments to improve your listening experience
- Light phone beat vibrations
- Background: light show - to move with every song you play (shapes, etc.)
- Audio setting button - for sound adjustments to improve your listening experience
- Light phone beat vibrations
SOCIAL
- Deaf / Hard of Hearing Community
- Share posts, songs, activity, videos (ASL dance trend included)
- Popular ASL videos available for any song you listen to! (and regular lyrics)
- Deaf / Hard of Hearing Community
- Share posts, songs, activity, videos (ASL dance trend included)
- Popular ASL videos available for any song you listen to! (and regular lyrics)
