AN ONLINE APPLICATION THAT CALIBRATES ONLINE VIDEO AND MUSIC
Date 2018
Client Cochlear
Role Designer
Type UI + Display + Social
The Project
Client: Cochlear (including key leadership Janet Menzies, GM of AU/NZ)
Agency: CHE Proximity (led by CCO Ant White and GCD Brian Jefferson)
External Partners: Audiologists, sound engineers and the production company The Glue Society (who directed the accompanying documentaries)
End Users: The 3.6 million Australians with some form of hearing loss, and the general public unaware of their own hearing degradation.
The brief was to move beyond traditional advertising and create an experience demonstrating Cochlear's complex value proposition, unlike simple hearing aids, recalibrating sound for an individual's specific needs. Instead of a typical ad spot explaining calibration, we built an online tool that turned the entire internet into a product demonstration. This utility educated users on their own hearing, showcasing Cochlear's unique technology, and was framed by human-led documentaries featuring Jennie Brand-Miller and Andy King.
My Role in the Project
I led the visual/UI design for the entire Hearprint application across desktop and mobile, translating complex technical goals into an intuitive and user-friendly product.
My responsibilities included:
Designing the simple, accessible, and empathetic hearing test/user-input system.
Creating the visual interface for the unique 'Hearprint' display and audio calibration management, ensuring clarity for a new, health-sensitive concept.
Presenting UI concepts, wireframes, and high-fidelity designs to internal leadership.
Developing mockups and prototypes used in successful client presentations to Cochlear to secure critical approvals.
Beyond the application, I also designed the complete suite of paid display banners and social media assets essential for the campaign launch and driving platform traffic.
Project Success, Learnings, and Future Actions
The project was an overwhelming success, validated by numerous industry awards. The recognition proved that our utility first approach resonated on a global scale.
Key awards included:
Cannes: Silver Lion (Creative Data)
The AMY Award (Utility - Campaign)
Caples: Gold (Innovation)
Adfest:
Gold: Direct - Best Use of Online
Bronze: Direct - Best Use of Film & Audio
Bronze: Interactive - Digital TechnologyAWARD Awards:
Gold: Product/ Technological Innovation
Gold: Digital Direct Response - Campaign
My takeaway was the importance of empathetic, user centric design for health-related topics. The UI needed to be accessible, clear, and reassuring for users confronting hearing loss, going beyond aesthetics. In hindsight, I would have integrated direct usability testing with people experiencing hearing loss much earlier. While we consulted extensively with audiologists, getting feedback from end users during prototyping would have provided further feedback to refine the tool's accessibility.
