PRIMO

BECKY HWANG

Primo facilitates the creation of new images by allowing the user to click cells, enabling blind and low-vision students to be both learners and creators.

Teachers access tactile images and covert digital images through a simple upload with Primo.

Primo is an interactive communication tool measuring 11 x 8”, with 756 cells that raise and lower to create tactile images.

Tactile alphabet cards illustrated by Razz T. use raised lines aid in learning English letters and Braille for blind and low-vision students.

Today, classrooms are all about screens and smart boards. For example, 2022 data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress states approximately 44 percent of math teachers use technology all, or most of the time, for classroom instruction.

However, what’s engaging for some can be isolating for others. Blind and low-vision students often struggle in standard classroom settings due to a lack of resources. In a world with significant visual bias in education, UX and product designer Becky Hwang engaged the blind and low vision community in a collaborative journey toward a more inclusive and accessible learning environment for all.

Primo is an interactive tactile communication tool designed to enhance real-time communication within education for blind and low-vision students, helping them to be more creative, expressive, gain knowledge, and empower true learning.

The Primo device efficiently converts digital images into tactile forms, allowing blind and low-vision students to physically engage with organic shapes and learning materials almost instantly—a stark contrast to the lengthy wait times of the past.

A corresponding Primo app streamlines the creation of tactile images, transforming the cumbersome process of creating tactile images into a simple, efficient few clicks. This dramatically improves accessibility for sighted teachers and guardians.

Beyond educational environments, Primo encourages students to become creators, providing tools to craft their own tactile images and share them within the app community. By facilitating the creation and receipt of tactile images—that can be turned into digital formats—Primo forges a connection between tactile and digital learning.

Hwang’s surrounding body of work includes digital easy-to-follow guides for beginners to create tactile graphics, along with the tactile graphic braille alphabet cards, tailor-made for students with visual impairments and those developing their tactile sensitivities for future braille literacy. These cards are enhanced with detailed illustrations by Razz T., a skilled blind cartoonist, featuring thick outlines to aid readability for blind and low-vision users.

BECKY HWANG

Becky Hwang is a UX and Product Designer with a background in advertising and content design. Her work merges design and technology create lasting, meaningful experiences. Passionate about crafting impactful solutions, she strives to transform everyday interactions into unforgettable moments that enrich lives.

jhwang19@sva.edu | beckyhwang.com | Linkedin: @becky-hwang