NTUST students win top Red Dot prize for app

2014-08-21

A recording app designed by Taiwan students for the visually impaired recently won a Best of the Best prize at Germany’s Red Dot Award, the first time a local entry of this kind achieved the honor.

Featuring a streamlined and intuitive user interface, “Hear me” enables users to manage recording sessions with simple movements. A tap of the smartphone screen pauses or stops the voice-activated session, while a swipe creates paragraph points.

The app was created by Lin Yi-tsen of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and Tsai Yi-hsuan of National Chengchi University.

“Currently available recording apps are too cumbersome for the visually challenged to navigate,” Lin said. “‘Hear Me’ provides an easily accessible, user-friendly experience, making recording and sharing audio files a simple task for all.”

NTUST College of Design professor Chiang Wei-hwa said a version will be available for download on the iOS App Store in two months.

According to Chiang, five other NTUST submissions joined “Hear Me” by earning recognition in the Red Dot Award communication category, while 10 followed suit in design concept.

Standout submissions include a walking cane with lighting functionality and ergonomics, as well as a portable battery charger capable of harvesting power generated from cycling. The latter has been commercialized and is set to debut in the Japanese market by year-end.

“The concepts behind these Red Dot-honored designs demonstrate that Taiwan students are paying close attention to the interaction between human beings and the environment,” Chiang said. “They also illustrate the value of human factors in creating eye-catching and life-enhancing designs.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=220824&CtNode=413)