Sensorium
Project Focus:
UX/UI Design, Interaction Architecture, Multisensory Experience Design
Year:
2018
Location :
Duitama, Colombia
Sensorium is a UX/UI prototyping project designed to enhance indoor navigation for people with visual impairments. The system offers an accessible solution through a high-contrast visual interface, audio feedback, and haptic signals, enabling greater autonomy in complex environments. Developed as part of an assistive technology research initiative within the UX/UI line of Taller 11 at the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia (UPTC), the project was led by me as the principal designer. I conceptualized the system, directed the interaction architecture, and designed the multisensory user experience — including ambient soundscapes with subtle binaural cues and a voice-guided navigation interface. I collaborated with a developer to build a functional prototype that translated the conceptual model into a real interactive experience.
%204_59_54%20p_%C2%A0m_.png)
%205_00_07%20p_%C2%A0m_.png)
%205_53_37%20p_%C2%A0m_.png)
Navigating indoor spaces poses a critical challenge for people with visual impairments, primarily due to the lack of accessible spatial references.
Opportunity To develop a real-time interactive system that encodes essential spatial information (location, direction, risks) into accessible visual, auditory, and haptic signals.
Objective To design an intuitive mobile interface with high contrast and minimal visual dependency, laying the groundwork for future integrations with high-precision geolocation technologies via Wi-Fi.
The system was conceived based on universal design principles applied across multiple sensory modalities:
Visual Layer Minimalist symbolic representations (circles, paths) function as an inclusive signage system, optimized for users with low vision.
Auditory Layer
-
Subtle binaural sound cues for spatial orientation.
-
Voice-guided commands via a synthesized assistant for navigation tasks.
Haptic Layer
-
Distinct vibration patterns corresponding to spatial actions and environmental alerts.
Sensorium’s visual language was intentionally designed as accessible signage, where each symbol conveys key spatial information to enable autonomous and safe navigation.
Functional prototypes were tested through participatory sessions with visually impaired users, validating the multisensory approach in terms of intuitiveness, emotional resonance, and accessibility.
Sensorium was formally recognized through the registration of experimental software, securing intellectual property rights over its innovative approach to accessible navigation.
While the current prototype focuses on interface and user experience layers, the project envisions future integration with real-time indoor positioning systems—laying the groundwork for more inclusive and autonomous mobility solutions.
* All rights reserved Workshop 11 , UPTC