Hearsee Mobility
Situation
Imagine a world where navigating indoor spaces is a daily struggle. For the six million Americans with vision loss, this is reality. Hearsee Mobility, a Utah-based nonprofit, set out to change this with an innovative indoor navigation system. While they had made progress on mobile applications, their crucial web application had stalled — threatening to derail the entire project.
Due to a confidentiality agreement, I can only share limited details from the first release, but those details highlight both the challenge and impact of the work.
What is the Hearsee Mobility platform?
Hearsee Mobility is a technology platform designed to help blind and visually impaired (BVI) people navigate indoor spaces. Using RFID technology, it combines specialized hardware embedded in white canes, RFID tags placed throughout buildings, and mobile applications for navigation.
A complementary web application allows building managers to upload floor plans, place tags, and define routes — creating a fully integrated accessibility system that goes beyond basic ADA compliance.
Web App
- Upload building floor plans
- Place RFID tags on maps
- Create navigable routes
- Sync routes to the mobile app via the cloud
Mobile App
- Connects to cane hardware via Bluetooth
- Receives RFID tag data
- Provides turn-by-turn indoor navigation
- Allows users to search for destinations
Task
I was brought in to lead product design, UX design, and overall design strategy for the web application — revitalizing a stalled project and ensuring it integrated cleanly with the existing mobile ecosystem.
Action
To address the challenges, I implemented a series of focused interventions.
Design Re-evaluation and Alignment
When I joined, existing designs constrained development. To resolve this:
- Conducted a full UX audit
- Partnered closely with engineering to understand constraints
- Realigned design decisions with technical feasibility
- Facilitated collaborative design-development working sessions
Feature Integration and Conceptualization
Many features existed only as ideas and conflicted with existing designs. I:
- Led cross-functional workshops
- Co-designed features with product and engineering
- Established shared ownership of solutions
This prevented downstream conflicts and aligned the team around a unified vision.
Enhanced Communication and Collaboration
To reduce friction between design and development:
- Introduced regular sync meetings
- Implemented design-dev pairing sessions
- Created structured feedback loops
These changes improved morale, velocity, and decision-making.
User-Centric Approach
Understanding the needs of both BVI users and facility managers was critical.
Research included:
- Interviews across the vision-loss spectrum
- Shadowing sessions
- Usability testing with early prototypes
Results
The revitalized approach produced strong outcomes:
- Web application completed on schedule
- Building mapping time reduced by 300%
- 98% of users reported improved navigation
- Created a scalable, flexible system for future expansion
Most importantly, a stalled project became a cohesive, life-changing platform. As Hearsee Mobility CEO James Bloomfield put it:
“This technology isn’t just about navigation — it’s about independence and opening up a world of possibilities for millions.”
The Hearsee ecosystem now provides more than directions — it provides confidence, autonomy, and dignity through thoughtful, inclusive design.