navi
An app and wearable mobility system for visually impaired users and their caretakers.
Product Design
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UX/UI
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Mobile Design
Research
Fieldwork Observations
Santa Monica: Designed for sighted convenience, not visually impaired safety.
We conducted site observations at Santa Monica’s Main Street, Ocean View Park, and the nearby beach area to understand mobility and accessibility challenges. Sidewalks, ramps, and bike paths were generally well-maintained, and most sighted visitors reported very few mobility issues within Santa Monica. However, we identified potential obstacles for VI users, including obstructing restaurant signage, rental scooters and bikes blocking pathways, crossings without sound signals, and the chaotic bike path with no formal crossing indications.
Fieldwork photos: Santa Monica’s Main Street with obstructing signage, beach bike path with no crossing signals, rental bikes blocking walkways, and a crosswalk marked only with “STOP LOOK WAVE”
Desktop Research
Caretakers play a crucial role in VI users’ daily lives but face high burnout and are unsupported by existing tech.
Visual impairment affects approximately 7 million people in the U.S., and numbers are rising with an aging population, which means the number of caretakers is also rising. Caretakers face high stress and burnout, as supporting VI loved ones involves significant physical and emotional assistance, while maintaining independence is crucial for both parties. Existing assistive technologies focus on VI users but rarely consider caretaker needs or shared systems.
Existing VI assistive products: Ally App and Ally Solo Glasses, Envision Companion App and Glasses, Be My Eyes
Global number of those affected by vision loss, all ages. Prevalence of vision loss highlights the scale and urgency of accessibility needs.
Interviews
Effective mobility for VI users depends on caretakers, environmental cues, preparation, and discreet, socially-integrated support.
Interviews revealed that VI users often experience progressive, partial vision loss and rely on light, contrast, and tactile cues to navigate safely, while crowded or noisy environments create sensory overload and increase the risk of collisions with unexpected obstacles. Users frequently depend on caretakers for real-time guidance and reassurance, making shared mobility essential, yet social inclusion is equally important—tools that interrupt conversation or draw attention can feel isolating. While some assistive technologies can help with specific tasks, no comprehensive system exists. Planning, route familiarity, and repetition are critical strategies for maintaining independence and reducing stress for both users and caretakers.
Prototyping
Initial Story & Concept Sketches
Our initial storyboard followed a visually impaired user and his caretaker through a day at Santa Monica’s Main Street, Ocean View Park, and the beach. The story helped us explore real-world moments such as crossing streets without sound signals, navigating dark restrooms, moving through crowded paths, and balancing independence with safety. At this stage, the concept focused primarily on the AI navigation wearable, supported by wristbands and a caretaker companion app.
Early AI-generated mockups and hand-drawn sketches of the wearable and app concept.
Early storyboard showing the VI user's trip with his caretaker to the Santa Monica beach. Illustrations by Sunni Monday.
Story Development & Screen Flow Mapping
To bring structure to our concept, we mapped each step of the user journey to specific functions for both the wearable and the caretaker app. This included text, audio, haptic feedback, screen visuals, and user actions. The mapping helped clarify what each part of the system should do, preventing overlap and confusion between the wearable and the app.
Table mapping story steps to wearable and app features, audio/haptic cues, visuals, and user actions.
Lo-fi & Mid-fi Prototype
The lo-fi prototype focused on testing the end-to-end caretaker journey from selecting a destination to receiving obstacle, crossing, and safety alerts, allowing us to validate the core flow, pacing, and narrative of shared navigation. It helped reveal where users became confused, what needed to be explicit rather than implied, and which moments were essential for understanding the system.
Select lo-fi screens: Destination selection, crossing and obstacle alerts, and recommended activities.
The mid-fi prototype added clarity and confidence through features like navigation bottom-sheets, improved alerts and notifications, quick map actions, and saved trips. The visual improvements were slight, as the focus remained on functionality.
Select mid-fi screens: Destination selection, crossing alert, “crossed safely” notification, saved trips
User Testing & Iterations
In the early stages, we conducted several rounds of internal user testing with classmates and the professor. Simulating both the wearable and caretaker app was very confusing, and feedback often focused on the testing setup and script rather than the app itself. Eventually, we shifted to focusing solely on prototyping and testing the caretaker app.
Early testing took the entire team to simulate the wearable, app, and environment while narrating the story and roleplaying as the VI user.
For the hi-fi prototype, we also tested with real caretakers, who found the NAVI app reduced mental load, increased confidence, and allowed greater freedom for both them and the VI user. In line with our research, they noted that they had never seen an app like this and were very glad to have the support. They all found the existing features very helpful but wanted to see more.
Upgraded visuals and added features based on feedback.
We expanded the prototype to better support real-world caregiving by adding community-vetted route previews, real-time tracking and follow mode, SOS and quick actions, and clearer navigation through refined visuals and focused trip tools. The narrative also evolved from simple short-distance navigation to higher-stakes scenarios on the beach, including dangerous obstacles and moments of independence, to demonstrate the follow mode and SOS features.
Final Storyboard
The storyboard follows Josh guiding his mother Dana, who has late-stage macular degeneration, through a day out. It shows the challenges of navigating crowded spaces and hazards, and how the NAVI app and device enable Dana’s independent exploration with community-vetted routes, real-time alerts, location tracking, and easy communication. The story highlights both user safety and caregiver freedom, while supporting shared experiences like the beach and a comedy show.
Josh uses the NAVI app to preview a quiet, community-vetted route with obstacle and busyness insights, then watches the wearable guide Dana in real time, alerting her to crossings and hazards before he has to.
At the beach, Josh confidently steps away while tracking Dana’s location. When a fall alert triggers, he’s able to check in and communicate instantly, staying connected without constant supervision.
NAVI enhances the sunset with uniquely generated music, then helps Josh discover nearby VI-friendly activities. They both enjoy a night of comedy.
Full storyboard overview. Generated by Google Gemini, prompted by Sunni Monday.
Final Product
AI Navigation Wearable (VI User)
A conceptual, discreet wearable that acts as a personal sighted guide, using cameras, sensors, and near-future LIDAR to detect obstacles, crossings, and hazards. It delivers real-time audio and haptic guidance through the device or paired wearables, enabling safer, more independent navigation without drawing attention.
Caretaker Companion App
A mobile app designed to support the full caregiving journey, from planning routes to monitoring progress and responding to alerts in real time. It allows caretakers to preview community-vetted trips, track the VI user, communicate instantly, and step away briefly while staying confidently connected.
Results & REflection
Results
Caregiver-focused support successfully reduces stress and builds trust in shared navigation.
Feedback from our final presentation at BMW Designworks highlighted that NAVI’s storytelling, research grounding, and real-world application made it feel professional, marketable, and future-ready, addressing a real need that existing AI wearables overlook. High-fidelity prototype testing with real caretakers showed that the app reduced mental load, increased confidence, and made caretakers feel seen and supported—something current assistive technologies rarely do. Caretakers expressed excitement about using NAVI in real life, valuing real-time alerts, route previews, and shared experiences that enhance both safety and meaningful independence.
“This is a real thing to pitch. Very future-looking.”
Michael De Bono
Lead Design Strategist at BMW Designworks
“So useful, so marketable, so necessary!”
Gillian Grebler
SMC Anthropology Professor
Our team presenting at BMW Designworks
Reflection
Shared independence, not isolated access, is the real gap in assistive technology. Effective design depends as much on narrative clarity as functionality.
I learned how without a clear story, even well-designed systems can fail to communicate their purpose or impact. Early testing showed that unclear narratives and over-complex roleplaying made it difficult for testers to understand why NAVI mattered, who it served, and how its parts worked together. This insight reshaped my prototyping approach, prioritizing focused, story-driven flows and limiting screens to only what was necessary to convey the core concept; narrowing testing to the caretaker app significantly improved comprehension and feedback. Research and validation further revealed that effective assistive technology must support shared independence, addressing caretaker reassurance, emotional load, and social inclusion—not just navigation for visually impaired users.