Shafa's Portfolio

myEyes

UX Case Study

Project Overview

The goal of this project is to develop a mobile application tailored to the needs of visually impaired individuals. The app will serve as a multi-purpose tool, offering features such as video calling for real-time assistance, optical character recognition (OCR) to scan and read text aloud, a calendar with vocal reminders, and an integrated maps feature to aid in navigation. The app will prioritize accessibility by utilizing a large and user-friendly UI design, featuring oversized text and headings, as well as a color scheme optimized for visually impaired users.

The Problem

Visually impaired individuals face significant challenges in managing their schedules, reading printed text, and obtaining real-time assistance. Existing solutions are often fragmented and not sufficiently tailored to their needs, requiring the use of multiple apps, which can be inefficient and cumbersome. This lack of cohesive, user-friendly tools limits their independence and daily efficiency, highlighting the need for a more integrated and accessible solution with all the essential services.

The Solution

The visually impaired assistance app will offer the following key features:

Calendar with Vocal Reminders
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Text-to-Speech (TTS)
Calendar with Vocal Reminders
Video Calling for Assistance

Research

Currently, several visually impaired assistance apps exist in the market, but most lack comprehensive features and an intuitive user interface.

285 million people worldwide have visual impairments

The target market for the visually impaired assistance app includes individuals of all ages who have visual impairments, ranging from congenital conditions to age-related vision loss.

The app will cater to various user segments, like:

Students:
Visually impaired students who require assistance with reading textbooks, accessing educational materials, and managing their schedules.

The target market for the visually impaired assistance app includes individuals of all ages who have visual impairments, ranging from congenital conditions to age-related vision loss.

The app will cater to various user segments, like:

Students:
Visually impaired students who require assistance with reading textbooks, accessing educational materials, and managing their schedules.

Working Professionals:
Individuals who need assistance with reading documents, managing appointments, and navigating their work environment.

Seniors:
Elderly individuals who experience age-related vision loss and require assistance with reading medication labels, managing daily tasks, and accessing community resources.

Stay ay home Moms:
Being blind can’t and shouldn’t stop you from being a parent. A lot of blind mothers need an app to help them stay organized and be the superheroes they are.

Working Professionals: Individuals who need assistance with reading documents, managing appointments, and navigating their work environment.

Seniors:
Elderly individuals who experience age-related vision loss and require assistance with reading medication labels, managing daily tasks, and accessing community resources.

Stay ay home Moms:
Being blind can’t and shouldn’t stop you from being a parent. A lot of blind mothers need an app to help them stay organized and be the superheroes they are.

User Pain Points

Limited Accessibility:
Existing apps often lack an accessible user interface, making it challenging for visually impaired users to navigate and use the app effectively.

Dependence on Others:
Visually impaired individuals frequently rely on the assistance of others for tasks like reading, scheduling, and navigation, limiting their independence and privacy.

Dependence on Others: Visually impaired individuals frequently rely on the assistance of others for tasks like reading, scheduling, and navigation, limiting their independence and privacy.

Lack of Comprehensive Solutions:
Current apps often focus on a single feature, requiring users to switch between multiple applications to meet their needs.

User Persona

Danyal Khalid

Age: 28

About:

Danyal is in his late 20s and working as a policy expert at an multinational company. He regularly goes to his office and likes to listen to audiobooks in his free time.

Goals:

Be able to walk to his office and other places nearby, use a calendar app easily or organize his day and be able to listen to text.

Frustrations:

Has various apps for various tasks. Each has a different UI, so it’s hard to adjust. Find it difficult to use calendar apps.

User Journey

Gesture Study

Map

Calendar

Scan

(Camera)

Scan

(Camera)

Drag Up & Down

Drag Up &

Down

Drag Up &

Down

Pinch In & Hold

Pinch In &

Hold

Pinch In &

Hold

Drag Diagonally

Drag

Diagonally

Drag

Diagonally

Drag Diagonally

Drag Double

Diagonally

Drag Double

Diagonally

Drag Sideways

Drag

Sideways

Drag

Sideways

Three Finger Tap

Three Finger

Tap

Three Finger

Tap

Pinch In

Two Finger Tap

Two Finger

Tap

Two Finger

Tap

Style Guide

Colors

Primary

#0B2751

Secondary

#F0F6FF

Typography

Name

Body

Captions 2

Captions 1

Heading 3

Heading 2

Heading 1

Inter

Font

Typography

Name

Body

Captions 2

Captions 1

Heading 3

Heading 2

Heading 1

32px

40px

60 px

80 px

100 px

120 px

Inter

Font

Screens

To add a new task or reminder to the calendar, users can simply touch and hold their finger on the screen after accessing the calendar through the "C" gesture. This touch and hold gesture triggers an interactive dialogue where users can input details of the task, such as the title, date, and time. Once entered, the app will audibly read out the task and store it in the calendar. The large UI elements and clear, high contrast colours will facilitate easy navigation and interaction with the calendar.

The OCR functionality within myEyes will enable users to use the devices’s camera to convert text to audible speech. This feature will prove invaluable when posters, menus, handwritten notes, or any printed text that a visually impaired user encounters. The app will use large text and headings, along with dark blue and white colors, to ensure optimal legibility for visually impaired users.

The integrated maps will provide visually impaired individuals with comprehensive navigation assistance. Leveraging audio cues, voice guidance, and haptic feedback, the app will guide users through their chosen routes, notifying them of upcoming intersections, landmarks, and obstacles along the way. The large and bold UI design, along with the dark blue and white color scheme, will ensure optimal visibility of the map details.

Two Finger Tap

Instantly get assistance

from a volunteer

Instantly get assistance

from a volunteer

Instantly get assistance

from a volunteer

Learnings

Making accessibility a top priority was a significant learning point.

The large and bulky UI design, along with the dark blue and white color scheme helped improve readability for visually impaired users.

Exploring integration with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and braille displays, could significantly enhance the app's accessibility and usability.

In future iterations, dedicating more time and effort to user research and testing would be beneficial for refining the app's features and enhancing user satisfaction.

The design process stresses the importance of taking a user-centric approach throughout the development process.

Engaging visually impaired users and incorporating their feedback from early stages helps understand their specific needs, preferences, and pain points.