Hearable Case

8 Weeks

A product designed to protect, charge, and showcase non-medical grade hearing aids.

Process Overview

Scroll for full process ︎︎︎

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This project was done in collaboration with several members from Nova Design Consultancy.

* = collaborative work with other team members

*** = work done solely by other team members

Context***

Over 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss, but only 1 in 5 people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually use one. This is why the design team at Nova developed a non-medical grade hearing aid concept-- to make hearing aids as accessible as wireless earbuds. However, in order to be as accessible as the hearable tech market, the design needed a charging case to go with it.

Design Goals

Inspiration*

Soft round forms. Minimal surfacing. Bold accents.

Internal Configuration

Various internal layouts were created to use as underlays for initial ideation. Essential internals included a battery, PCB, USB C port, LEDs, and magnets.

Sketching*

Initial CAD *

Rapid CAD models were genereated to explore various configurations and forms. Ultimately six initial concepts were created for user testing.

Prototypes

Concept A
“Rocker Case”

Concept B
“Clamshell Case”

Concept C
“Pill Case”

Concept D
“Upright Case”

Concept E
“Rotating Case”

User Validation

The 6 initial prototypes were lined up in front of several users who gave their opinions on aesthetic, ergonomics, and functionality.

After feedback, the design team decided to parallel path development of the Rotating Case and the Pill Case.

Concept Refinement

Rotating Case***

Prototype scaled up, changed proportions, and tested various internal surfaces. The final prototype tilted internal configurations for a smooth inner surface.

Final CAD

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Final Prototype

Pill Case

Prototype scaled up, became rounder, and adjusted internal surfacing for more clearance. The final prototype also had a hidden hinge for a cleaner look.

Final CAD

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Final Prototype

Final Direction

Ultimately the Rotating case was chosen for the final design due to its ability to be opened with one hand. The configuration of the pill case also required users to switch hands when taking out both hearables, which proved to be uncomfortable in certain scenarios.