Speakmatic

A live-transcription app which aims to address issues of inclusivity and disconnection for the deaf and hard of hearing, especially when it comes to live, in-person interaction.
Timeline
4 weeks
Course
INFO Foundations
Spring 2024
Team
Erica Andrade
Gerin George
Marcus King
Natalie Tassieli
Veronica Mendoza
Contribution
User Research
UX/UI (Re)design

Overview

Those who live with hearing loss often feel isolated, frustrated, and misunderstood when it comes to engaging with others, whether it be in social settings, work environments, or in the classroom. Although resources such as hearing aids and closed captions exist, they are not always readily available or financially accessible to those who need them.

Through Speakmatic, we recognize not only a desire for connection, but also a need for accessibility and adaptability. Keeping in mind its different users groups and their shared goal of connection, Speakmatic offers a simple and advanced mode for ease of use and learnability.

Design Research

Through our research, we aimed to better understand challenges and frustrations encountered in the day-to-day, satisfaction levels with existing accommodations and technology, and needs or wishes for the deaf and hard of hearing community. We conducted several 1:1 interviews with deaf and hard of hearing members, as well as surveyed over 50 individuals and/or organizations that associate with or identify as deaf or hard of hearing. Their responses suggested...

‍Feelings of loneliness
Respondents expressed feelings of loneliness and frustration when it comes to engaging in conversation, especially in large group settings.
‍
Desire for connection
There is a shared desire to feel seen by and connected with those around them, whether that be in specific settings or in everyday life.
Jonah ∙ 18
Wants to be able to engage with friends and peers in social and academic settings.

Feels there is a lack of accommodations for hard of hearing kids in classrooms.
Martha ∙ 71
Wants to effectively interact and communicate with close friends and family.

Feels limited by the challenges of keeping up with new technologies.

Design Process

Following research, ideation for our live-transcription app began with defining two user personas, outlined above. While our designs should highlight our users' shared desire for connection, we also wanted to acknowledge their differences in our designs. More specifically, we recognized that some users may not want or need every feature offered in our proposed solution. With this in mind, we chose to design an adaptable live-transcription app that offers both a simple and advanced mode.

Why Speakmatic?

Speakmatic is designed to adapt to the unique needs of our users. Whether you want to easily live-transcribe day-to-day conversations, save lecture or meeting transcriptions for later, or connect with other members of the community, Speakmatic has you covered with its two modes.

Simple
Speakmatic Simple offers live-transcription at your fingertips without the hassle of creating an account and distraction of supplementary features.

Advanced
Unlock a variety of unique features with Speakmatic Advanced, such as the ability to save transcriptions and connect with other users through message boards.
Choose your mode
Upon opening Speakmatic, users will be prompted to choose between one of two modes. Once a selection is made, users will be redirected and can switch between these modes at any time.
Start transcribingSimply tap the mic icon located in the bottom nav bar to get started. Spoken words will be displayed on the screen, with different speakers shown as different colored bubbles.
Save transcriptions
With Speakmatic Advanced, users have the option to save their live transcriptions, which can be later accessed by tapping the bookmark icon in the bottom nav bar.
Stay connectedUsers can access quick resources and discussions under the community page, or connect directly with others through messaging.
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