Heartmony Pendant

Heartmony

Feel Every Beat: A haptic pendant redefining concerts for the deaf and hard of hearing

Client

Neruda Arts

Project Type

Client and Course Project

Team

4 Team Members

Timeline

Sep 2024 - Dec 2024 (12 weeks)

About the Client

Introduction of the Client

"Our vision is to create an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome and can meaningfully engage with music"
Neruda Arts, based in St. Jacobs, Ontario, hosts annual concerts featuring global performers, bringing diverse arts and culture to the community. They aim to make their events accessible to the hard of hearing and Deaf audience.

Client's Requirements

  • The product should be portable that is easy to carry and store.
  • The product should be easy to use and understand.
  • The product should be able to be used in different environments.
  • The product should be low cost and easy to manufacture.
  • The product should be accessible to all users.

Based on the client's requirements, we identified the following problem space:

How might we enable individuals hard of hearing to fully engage in live concerts?

Determine the best product for the client

We first did literature reviews to understand our target group --- deaf and hard of hearing people, and the use of haptic techology on concert for these group of people. Then we use different research method to determine our product.

User Personas

Personas help align us around user needs, guiding design and development decisions to create a product that truly resonates with the target audience.

User Personas

Amani

  • Young, vibrant, and social.
  • Loves outdoor summer concerts.
  • Suffers from auditory processing challenges due to an accident.
  • Struggles with hearing higher frequencies.
  • Feels overwhelmed in multi-sensory settings.
  • Misses enjoying concerts with friends.

Jamie

  • Older, with age-related hearing loss.
  • A solitary musician for most of his life.
  • Feels left out when his family attends concerts without him.
  • Recently decided to join family outings but finds it hard to stay engaged.

User Storyboard

Storyboards help us visualize user experiences and workflows, enabling teams to better understand user interactions, identify potential pain points, and refine product features to create a seamless and intuitive solution.

User Storyboard

After about one month of research and design:

We determined to create a small haptic device and conducted multiple rounds of user testing to refine our design.

Wireframes

Our product includes a remote to control the vibration and a wearable accessory for the wrist or neck to feel it.

Wireframe 1

Mid-Fidelity Prototype

Based on the feedback from low-fidelity wireframes testing, we refined our design into mid-fidelity prototypes, incorporating user suggestions and improving the overall interaction flow.

Mid-fidelity Prototype 1

Final Design - Designed for effortless use—just put it on, and you're ready to dance!

Featuring plastic bead straps that optimize vibration technology and a wooden base that enhances comfort and haptic sensations, it combines functionality with tactile appeal. Fully customizable for all users, it's easy to wear, easy to remove, and crafted for both performance and enjoyment.

Heartmony Necklace Front View
Heartmony Bracelet on Wrist

Haptic Technology

Hapticlabs offers a comprehensive no-code toolkit designed to simplify the creation of haptic interactions. Their flagship software, Hapticlabs Studio, enables users to design custom haptic patterns and signals without any coding. This software integrates seamlessly with their hardware DevKit and Mobile App, allowing for real-time evaluation of designs across various devices. The DevKit facilitates the augmentation of objects with haptic feedback, while the Mobile App provides tangible feedback on iOS devices. This ecosystem streamlines the prototyping, evaluation, and deployment of haptic experiences, making it accessible for users to develop immersive interactions efficiently.

We used the Hapticlabs kit to create a custom haptic sequence for a Christmas song. Using Hapticlab's no-code toolkit, we designed and refined haptic patterns that matched the rhythm and melody of the song. With the DevKit, we integrated these patterns into the hardware to deliver a tactile experience, and the Mobile App allowed us to test and adjust the sequence in real-time. This project gave us a hands-on opportunity to explore how haptic technology can enhance the way we experience music through touch.

Hapticlabs Development Kit
Microphone Settings Interface

Microphone Settings

Step One is to fill out basic event information to identify each playlist. Set the microphone sensitivity (noise, instruments and genre)

Haptic Settings Interface

Haptic Settings

Step Two is to set up the haptic settings, if they want the vibration to adapt dynamically to the concert and how they want the feedback to respond (pattern & intensity).

Frequency Settings Interface

Frequency Settings (Equalizer)

Step Three is to set up the frequency feedback. This will add some structure to the vibration feedback i.e all low frequency sounds between 20 - 250hz will have the highest intensity.

Dashboard Interface

Dashboard

Step Four check the dashboard for the completed playlist. Access and play when ready.