Exploring Hearing Aids and Super Normal Design

The intent of this project is to challenge prevalent visions for the future of hearing aid design: that they will either 'disappear' through miniaturisation, or else by appearing to be something other than a hearing aid, whether mainstream consumer electronics or jewellery. And to challenge the implication that this disappearance - even if possible - would be a positive outcome for everyone concerned.
The research will explore themes of stigma as part of understanding the different social and cultural relationships that exist and their link to hearing aids. It will involve the experiences and perspectives of wearers, non-wearers, health care professionals and manufacturers of hearing aids.

In response (yet also as a mode of inquiry) it will use super normal design: defined as the design of everyday objects that fit into our lives so comfortably as to usually go unnoticed (another, more subtle form of invisibility, in a way). By which we mean the design of hearing aids that are in some ways archetypical hearing aids and recognisable as such, yet at the same time understated, and subtly and beautifully resolved.

Research questions include:

How does the experience of wearing hearing aids differ across hard of hearing, deafened and D/deaf users?

What decisions are wearers making with regards to passing, covering and uncovering? In what way does stigma affect these decisions?

How can the design of hearing aids better represent the identity of their wearers? What would a super normal hearing aid look like, and who might wear one? What role can design play in challenging stigma associated with hearing aids and hearing loss?

Research methodology

This practice-based research project will involve a combination of Action Research and Research-through-Design approaches. Action research is a qualitative method that primarily looks at designing for social change and focuses on future outcomes, working to solve "real problems" within "real world situations." (O'Brien, 1998) Action research follows a process of "learning by doing," following systematic stages of planning, acting, observing and reflecting, allowing for repetition of the process and findings based re-iteration in defining, deciphering and evaluating research questions. (McNiff & Whitehead, 2002)

Similarly, Research-through-Design involves using design practice as a medium to explore research questions, and follows a process of exploring, conceptualizing, building, testing, observing and reflecting through design prototypes or "artefacts." (Gaver, 2012) Zimmerman describes Research-through-Design as the "...process of iteratively designing artefacts as a creative way of investigating what a potential future might be." (Zimmerman et al, 2010)

This research will also adopt a "nothing about us, without us" stance, in terms of user participation in the research and design iterations. The narratives and experiences of wearers and non-wearers is crucial for this research. It is hoped that certain participants will take on the role of 'mentor' for the project development and that this will create a sense of ownership and investment in the project.