The Communicaid is a system that can facilitate communication between deaf and hearing people. It's designed for the people who were born deaf and didn't acquire language early or that have lost it in early childhood. Communicaid Visual Sound Station and Glasses are portable devices for indoor/outdoor use. It catches important sounds from the environment and alerts them visually. The Mobile Communicator is a handheld device that communicates with hearing people more efficiently and conveniently.
How did you learn that you had been recognized by the jury? I was on my way to work when the judging came out. I couldn't watch the live stream on the bus so I was just checking my Facebook. A few minutes later, I noticed that my friend tagged me and posted "congratulations" on my wall. I was really surprised when I saw the Core77 Design Awards link. I arrived at work by that time and checked the website right away. I watched the video with my co-worker and after a while, they announced my name. I still remember that thrilling moment.
What's the latest news or development with your project? My project has been featured not only on Core77 but also a few famous design blogs. I was surprised that many people actually contacted me for further information about Communicaid and to purchase the products by email, Facebook and even by phone. Currently, I am working with one of my deaf contacts to develop new deaf-friendly prototypes and to locate additional investments for possible production.
What is one quick anecdote about your project? During the research phase, I was grocery shopping and I found a young man trying to help a customer who is hard-of-hearing. The young man kept asking him, "Is this the one? Or this one?" over and over again. A worker saw him but she just passed by. After trying but failing, he also left him behind. I couldn't just leave, so I approached him and tried to help. Finally, we found what he wanted, but it took a long time to communicate. That situation reminded me of my deaf cousin and I started to wonder, "Is there a more efficient way to communicate with hard of hearing people?"
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