eSight Go
Low- vision assistive eyewear targeting users with Macular Degeneration & Glaucoma
eSight devices are used daily by thousands with over 20 serious eye conditions. eSight Go is eSight’s next product set to launch in 2024.
My Role:
User research. Prototyping. UI Design. Product Strategy.
Built and maintained a design system for web, mobile, and wearable interface.
Tools:
Figma (Designs)
Jira/Confluence (Sprint + Content Management
Photoshop (Testing materials)
Project Duration:
10 months
eSight’s eyewear enables people with legal blindness to achieve 20/20 enhanced vision. Through its camera lens and image processing technology, it provides the highest quality visual information to improve vision, looking near and far.
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I worked with the product and development team to design the new eSight Go product from ideation to building, and maintaining a design library + prototypes to support development implementation.
This includes market research, user research, user testing, multiple UI design iterations, and collaboration with the product, engineering, and hardware teams.
Understanding the users & the market
I began by conducting interviews with current eSight 4 users to learn about their daily activities, everyday concerns, product usage, and pain points. Due to the nature of our target users (individuals with low vision), interviews were conducted in person, which also allowed me to connect and engage with each participant through semi-structured user interviews.
In parallel, market research and competitive analysis were also conducted to understand our competitors and the similar products offered in the market.
Problem Statement
User pain points revolve around the form factor (weight, and look) and the experience of navigating the product physically and digitally.
Project Goal
Create a more discreet, sleek, advanced device that further improves user vision and improves the user experience of both the physical device and digital experience.
Research
In-Person User Interviews
Speaking directly with those with visual impairment and understanding their lifestyles, pain points, strengths, and needs.
In-person + Remote Usability Testing
Iterative testing on industrial design prototypes and conducting UI usability tests on eyewear screens.
Design
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Mobile App
Current app upgrade integrating new generation eyewear with an all new design
Create/ manage account
Alternate way to connect eyewear to wi-fi
Register/ connect device(s)
Use as remote for the eyewear
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Eyewear HMI
Screens on the eyewear, where the users maximize their vision by:
zooming in/out
adjusting brightness, colour contrast
freezing view and auto focus
Creating a seamless experience to control features through high contrast indicators, large fonts and voice.
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Web Portal
Revamping current site to a new web portal
From users, admins, distributors, sales to support, the portal allows users to:
manage their account and device
allow user’s loved ones to see their view in the eyewear
get the support they need
Reflection
Challenges
Learning Curve and Responsibilities
Before working at the company, I had limited knowledge of wearable design and accessible design. As I started as an intern at the company, I had to quickly learn the ins and outs of the products and knowledge on low vision eye conditions while taking on many hats. It was a challenge to manage both the learning curve and take on responsibilities with tight timelines.
Research
For this project, I conducted interviews and research on the digital and physical prototypes. One is that I haven’t had much experience working with users who are older with disabilities and testing physical products. Furthermore, remote testing was not possible due to the users of the product and the physicality of the product. This project was also during Covid when elders were particularly uncomfortable being in a closed room with others.
Creating the right solutions, with technical and budget constraints
Upon understanding the pain points of our users, the problems were complex to solve. Not only do we want to maximize the benefits to help users with their vision, but the physical product also has to be significantly sleeker than our previous generation, and the digital experience using all the platforms has to be tailored to users with low vision. We worked with a US industrial company, Gentex, to build prototypes to test and improve each prototype version keeping technical and budget constraints in mind.
Despite the challenges, I worked with my team to tackle each challenge as they came our way. I also learned a wide range of new skills throughout the experience.
Learning Opportunities
Overview:
Time management
Learning and adapting quickly
Accessible/ Inclusive design
User research (people with low vision, UAT testing, physical prototypes)
Design for multiple integrated digital platforms
Test a physical product (Involved with 5 iterations)
When I first joined the company, it was exactly the time when the new product plan had kicked off and was in the ideation phase. It was a great opportunity to be involved from the very beginning of the project, working with the team to build requirements and timelines.
Before joining this company, I mostly worked on digital projects (websites and apps). It was the first time working on a mix of a physical and digital product with multiple platforms. It was also a new opportunity to work with people with disabilities (including coworkers and users), which led me to study intensively on accessibility and inclusive design. Due to the nature of the product, testing also had to be done with physical prototypes, which expanded my skills in user research. This project is where I believe I gained immense knowledge in accessible design and design for a combination of web, mobile, and wearable interfaces. The experience helped shape my well-rounded skills as a designer.
I learned so much at this company and am grateful that I was given a full-time position only 3 months into my internship. Though I moved on to a different company before the product was launched, it was a fulfilling opportunity to work alongside a great team to build a meaningful product.