Smart glasses that make conversations more inclusive.
Captify, a startup building assistive wearables, launched their new product Captify Pro, AI-powered glasses for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. I led the redesign of both the mobile app and glasses interface to make the experience more intuitive, trustworthy, and practical for daily use.
Business goal
Position Captify Pro as a trusted, everyday communication tool that empowers the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and strengthens Captify’s market credibility.
Deliverables
Glasses Interface Design from 0-1 MVP APP Advancement Design System
Client
Captify Glasses
Deliverables
Platform
Glasses Mobile
Year
2025
My Role
Lead Product Designer
Captioning glasses purpose-built for the deaf/hard of hearing.
Captify glasses
Captify glasses
Captioning glasses purpose-built for the deaf/hard of hearing.
Captify glasses
Captify glasses
Captioning glasses purpose-built for the deaf/hard of hearing.
Project Overview
Project Overview
Users & Challenges
Deaf & Hard of hear community
Key Segment: Seniors (60+) Secondary Segment: Adults with partial hearing loss
Users & Challenges
Deaf & Hard of hear community
Key Segment: Seniors (60+) Secondary Segment: Adults with partial hearing loss
Users & Challenges
Deaf & Hard of hear community
Key Segment: Seniors (60+) Secondary Segment: Adults with partial hearing loss
User Needs
Day to day comfort
Older adults with hearing loss loved the promise of Captify’s AI captions, but struggled with setup complexity and everyday usability. The MVP was powerful yet unintuitive — users couldn’t rely on it outside controlled environments, leading to low engagement and wearability.
User Needs
Day to day comfort
Older adults with hearing loss loved the promise of Captify’s AI captions, but struggled with setup complexity and everyday usability. The MVP was powerful yet unintuitive — users couldn’t rely on it outside controlled environments, leading to low engagement and wearability.
User Needs
Day to day comfort
Older adults with hearing loss loved the promise of Captify’s AI captions, but struggled with setup complexity and everyday usability. The MVP was powerful yet unintuitive — users couldn’t rely on it outside controlled environments, leading to low engagement and wearability.
Competitive Landscape
Not another AI glasses
Instead of building another feature-heavy AI glasses product, we focused on making Captify simple, accessible, and effortless for everyday use. Our goal was to help users feel confident using the device daily, without the complexity often seen in tech-driven wearables. The Captify app also functions independently — allowing users to transcribe and follow conversations even without the glasses, expanding accessibility beyond the hardware.
Competitive Landscape
Not another AI glasses
Instead of building another feature-heavy AI glasses product, we focused on making Captify simple, accessible, and effortless for everyday use. Our goal was to help users feel confident using the device daily, without the complexity often seen in tech-driven wearables. The Captify app also functions independently — allowing users to transcribe and follow conversations even without the glasses, expanding accessibility beyond the hardware.
Competitive Landscape
Not another AI glasses
Instead of building another feature-heavy AI glasses product, we focused on making Captify simple, accessible, and effortless for everyday use. Our goal was to help users feel confident using the device daily, without the complexity often seen in tech-driven wearables. The Captify app also functions independently — allowing users to transcribe and follow conversations even without the glasses, expanding accessibility beyond the hardware.
Outcome
A lifestyle product for everyday communication
The redesign transformed Captify Pro from a technical prototype into a credible lifestyle product — one that blends accessibility, confidence, and ease of use. This work not only improved user trust and satisfaction but also gave Captify a stronger narrative for product launch and investor presentations.
Outcome
A lifestyle product for everyday communication
The redesign transformed Captify Pro from a technical prototype into a credible lifestyle product — one that blends accessibility, confidence, and ease of use. This work not only improved user trust and satisfaction but also gave Captify a stronger narrative for product launch and investor presentations.
User Investigation
User Investigation
User Interview
What do users say about current version of Captify?
Through interviews with deaf and hard-of-hearing users, we uncovered the key barriers preventing Captify from becoming part of their everyday lives. Our research revealed both functional challenges—such as device setup and usability—and emotional hesitations around trust, comfort, and confidence, which directly informed our design decisions.
User Interview
What do users say about current version of Captify?
Through interviews with deaf and hard-of-hearing users, we uncovered the key barriers preventing Captify from becoming part of their everyday lives. Our research revealed both functional challenges—such as device setup and usability—and emotional hesitations around trust, comfort, and confidence, which directly informed our design decisions.
User Interview
What do users say about current version of Captify?
Through interviews with deaf and hard-of-hearing users, we uncovered the key barriers preventing Captify from becoming part of their everyday lives. Our research revealed both functional challenges—such as device setup and usability—and emotional hesitations around trust, comfort, and confidence, which directly informed our design decisions.
Key Decisions
Key Decisions
User workflow
Streamlining the Core Experience
After interviews, we simplified the workflow to reduce steps and make real-time use more intuitive for elderly users. Key changes: Smart Mode – Auto-detects context (chat, ambient, watch) and adjusts settings. Simplified entry flow – Unified access to transcription and translation. Speaker labeling – Visually identifies who’s speaking. Display settings – Combined caption and translation options. Streamlined layout – Moved secondary actions like history to subpages.
User workflow
Streamlining the Core Experience
After interviews, we simplified the workflow to reduce steps and make real-time use more intuitive for elderly users. Key changes: Smart Mode – Auto-detects context (chat, ambient, watch) and adjusts settings. Simplified entry flow – Unified access to transcription and translation. Speaker labeling – Visually identifies who’s speaking. Display settings – Combined caption and translation options. Streamlined layout – Moved secondary actions like history to subpages.
User workflow
Streamlining the Core Experience
After interviews, we simplified the workflow to reduce steps and make real-time use more intuitive for elderly users. Key changes: Smart Mode – Auto-detects context (chat, ambient, watch) and adjusts settings. Simplified entry flow – Unified access to transcription and translation. Speaker labeling – Visually identifies who’s speaking. Display settings – Combined caption and translation options. Streamlined layout – Moved secondary actions like history to subpages.
Final Design
Final Design
Highlight 1
Smart mode
One-tap presets that auto-configure settings for different situations, making setup effortless.
Highlight 1
Smart mode
One-tap presets that auto-configure settings for different situations, making setup effortless.
Highlight 1
Smart mode
One-tap presets that auto-configure settings for different situations, making setup effortless.
Highlight 2
Environmental sound alerts
Keeps users aware of important sounds around them with simple, real-time alerts—helping them feel safe and informed in any environment.
Highlight 2
Environmental sound alerts
Keeps users aware of important sounds around them with simple, real-time alerts—helping them feel safe and informed in any environment.
Highlight 2
Environmental sound alerts
Keeps users aware of important sounds around them with simple, real-time alerts—helping them feel safe and informed in any environment.
Highlight 3
Speaker Labeling & Customization
Color-coded speaker tags and font sizing options improve multi-person conversations.
Highlight 3
Speaker Labeling & Customization
Color-coded speaker tags and font sizing options improve multi-person conversations.
Highlight 3
Speaker Labeling & Customization
Color-coded speaker tags and font sizing options improve multi-person conversations.
Design Challenges
Design Challenges
Homepage experience
How might we redesign the homepage to make key actions clearer and easier to use?
Homepage experience
How might we redesign the homepage to make key actions clearer and easier to use?
Homepage experience
How might we redesign the homepage to make key actions clearer and easier to use?
Environment sound alerts
How captions and environmental sound alerts work together as an integrated system on the wearable device?
Environment sound alerts
How captions and environmental sound alerts work together as an integrated system on the wearable device?
Environment sound alerts
How captions and environmental sound alerts work together as an integrated system on the wearable device?
Reflection & Next steps
Reflection & Next steps
What I learned
Even the most empathetic designer learns the most from real conversations
Meeting users face-to-face—especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing—taught me that no amount of assumptions can replace firsthand understanding. Hearing their challenges and frustrations reshaped my thinking about accessibility and helped me make more human-centered design decisions.
What I learned
Even the most empathetic designer learns the most from real conversations
Meeting users face-to-face—especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing—taught me that no amount of assumptions can replace firsthand understanding. Hearing their challenges and frustrations reshaped my thinking about accessibility and helped me make more human-centered design decisions.
What I learned
Even the most empathetic designer learns the most from real conversations
Meeting users face-to-face—especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing—taught me that no amount of assumptions can replace firsthand understanding. Hearing their challenges and frustrations reshaped my thinking about accessibility and helped me make more human-centered design decisions.
Designing for Ease, Not Effort
In accessibility-focused products, simplicity isn’t a limitation—it’s empowerment. We found that full customization often overwhelms older users, leading to hesitation or misuse. Instead, I focused on making Captify effortless: quick toggles, adaptive captions, and preset Smart Modes that anticipate needs rather than require setup. The goal was to make the experience feel natural, so users could focus on conversations—not controls.
Designing for Ease, Not Effort
In accessibility-focused products, simplicity isn’t a limitation—it’s empowerment. We found that full customization often overwhelms older users, leading to hesitation or misuse. Instead, I focused on making Captify effortless: quick toggles, adaptive captions, and preset Smart Modes that anticipate needs rather than require setup. The goal was to make the experience feel natural, so users could focus on conversations—not controls.
Designing for Ease, Not Effort
In accessibility-focused products, simplicity isn’t a limitation—it’s empowerment. We found that full customization often overwhelms older users, leading to hesitation or misuse. Instead, I focused on making Captify effortless: quick toggles, adaptive captions, and preset Smart Modes that anticipate needs rather than require setup. The goal was to make the experience feel natural, so users could focus on conversations—not controls.
What I’d Do Differently
I’d further refine the UI for elderly accessibility — improving contrast, enlarging touch areas and text, and adding text labels to icons. I’d also explore a simplified mode to reduce visual clutter and make interactions more intuitive.
What I’d Do Differently
I’d further refine the UI for elderly accessibility — improving contrast, enlarging touch areas and text, and adding text labels to icons. I’d also explore a simplified mode to reduce visual clutter and make interactions more intuitive.
What I’d Do Differently
I’d further refine the UI for elderly accessibility — improving contrast, enlarging touch areas and text, and adding text labels to icons. I’d also explore a simplified mode to reduce visual clutter and make interactions more intuitive.
Next steps
Identify Speakers by AI
Enhance conversation context by allowing users to record voices they frequently interact with. The AI will learn to recognize and label these speakers automatically in future conversations, improving both accuracy and personalization.
Next steps
Identify Speakers by AI
Enhance conversation context by allowing users to record voices they frequently interact with. The AI will learn to recognize and label these speakers automatically in future conversations, improving both accuracy and personalization.
Next steps
Identify Speakers by AI
Enhance conversation context by allowing users to record voices they frequently interact with. The AI will learn to recognize and label these speakers automatically in future conversations, improving both accuracy and personalization.
Next steps
Manage Notifications & Transcripts
Refine the notification and transcript management experience to better handle real-world use: - Classify sound alerts based on type and importance - Auto-delete outdated captions and alerts. - Sort and categorize transcripts for easy reference. - Improve long-session handling for better performance.
Next steps
Manage Notifications & Transcripts
Refine the notification and transcript management experience to better handle real-world use: - Classify sound alerts based on type and importance - Auto-delete outdated captions and alerts. - Sort and categorize transcripts for easy reference. - Improve long-session handling for better performance.
Next steps
Manage Notifications & Transcripts
Refine the notification and transcript management experience to better handle real-world use: - Classify sound alerts based on type and importance - Auto-delete outdated captions and alerts. - Sort and categorize transcripts for easy reference. - Improve long-session handling for better performance.