About Fermata

Participating in Design Expo 2005, an International design competition hosted by Microsoft Research, we were given the challenge of exploring future applications that pertain to time. With a collective interest in accessibility and usability in mobile computing, our team researched and designed a prototype for an auditory calendar for the visually impaired.

Collaborators

Spencer Kiser & David Yates

Context

In our day-to-day lives, we process complex layering, mapping and placement of sounds to make sense of the world around us, yet in our applications, this sensory experience has been reduced to nondescript alarms and time consuming speech to text translation. In designing Fermata, we had to find a way to break the time barrier of auditory information to provide the equivalent of "information at a glance."

Solution

For answers on how to design for this environment, we turned to members of the blind community in Manhattan and studied what technology they use and what auditory cues they monitor. This partnership resulted in the design of Fermata, a web-based calendar application for future mobile devices. Combining audio icons and spatial placement, we created data soundscapes that enable quick, efficient, comprehensive access to personal events, appointments and reminders.

Demo & Scenario

Audio Introduction (3min) The following link will introduce the challenges in the design and demonstrate our solution. Note, we can not deliver true surround in a web demo, samples are in stereo.

Status

Fermata was presented at the Design Expo in Seattle and awarded "Best Product Concept." We continue to explore this concept and look to take the prototype through more iterations. For more information visit Fermatatime