for
People who have lost their sight but still love soccer
Story
user journey At a glance
A user journey designed for fast immersion and clear understanding
Challenge
Result
The core challenge was overcoming my own visual bias. As a fully sighted designer, I initially relied on the familiar “if I were the user” mindset and assumed that improving accessibility meant delivering more information, faster. However, this assumption failed to account for how visually impaired users actually construct a mental model of a soccer match, not through information density, but through spatial clarity.
By structuring and clearly conveying elements such as the ball’s position, direction of movement, and distances between players, I designed a service that enables visually impaired users to engage with soccer matches more actively and immersively, and helps reduce the psychological sense of exclusion that comes from feeling unable to participate in everyday sports experiences.
The device is supported by a companion application designed with VoiceOver accessibility in mind, ensuring seamless interaction and usability.
Qual research
Research / Persona
Implication
Designing Haptic Interaction
I designed the mockup according to the planned size for subsequent usability testing. I considered a size that would be convenient for visually impaired users to place on their laps while watching soccer, and created buttons that are physically easy to touch and have raised shapes to indicate their functions.
For The key function of this product is haptic interaction provided through a vibrating element in the shape of Braille, which is familiar to the visually impaired. Based on research on usability obtained through mock-ups, I adjusted the functions and size of the product to enable the visually impaired to actively and comfortably watch a soccer game.
imagine dynamics
Users are already capable of analyzing various vibration patterns. Based on information about the ball's location and height obtained through these patterns, they can visualize multiple situations in a soccer game. Ballhere does not simply convey the ball's position to the user's fingers; it provides a variety of vibration patterns to help users more concretely imagine the dynamic flow of the game, thereby assisting their understanding of match situations and facilitating interactions between users and the soccer game.
App support
The app integrates with the Ballhere device to provide real-time haptic feedback, allowing users to immediately sense key moments in the game through touch. The interface is simplified to be compatible with voice-over functionality, enabling users to easily access all app and device features. Additionally, a vibration guide is provided to help users understand the different vibration patterns, enhancing accessibility
Thank you.
