Super-vision for the people who need it most.
A11y is a self-initiated concept: a gesture-based, intelligent camera assistant that acts as a digital eye for people with visual or hearing impairments. It started with a personal encounter and grew into an exploration of what inclusive AI could feel like.
- Role
- Concept & UX
- Type
- Self-initiated exploration
- Scope
- Mobile · AI
- Year
- 2020
Overview
A digital eye
A11y reimagines the phone camera as an AI companion — something that can see, read, and explain the world for people who can't rely on their own sight or hearing.
I led the exploration end to end: concept, UX, user research, visual design, and motion.
The challenge
Accessibility that feels effortless
Assistive tools too often feel clinical or hard to learn. The challenge was to make something powerful that anyone could use with a gesture — no menus to memorise, no friction in the moment you need help.
Approach
Three modes, one gesture
A11y centres on three modes — General, Text Scanner, and Assistant — plus a magnifier and an emergency call. It recognises scenes and objects, identifies currency, and reads lips for those with hearing loss.
OCR reads printed text aloud, while Assistant mode helps locate objects and complete everyday tasks.
Outcome
Designing for everyone
As a concept, A11y shows how inclusive design can fold scene recognition, shopping help, and text-to-speech into something genuinely intuitive.
It's a reminder that the most adaptable technology is the kind built around the people who need it most.
