Hilight is a concept mobile app that helps blind and visually impaired individuals navigate the city independently by identifying and voicing key objects along their route.

This was one of the most unique projects I’ve worked on — not just because of its social relevance, but because of how deeply it shaped my thinking as a designer. It pushed me to go beyond the screen and collaborate with people from industrial design, film, and music to bring a holistic concept to life.

The project started as a diploma at the British Higher School of Design, where my classmate Artem and I wanted to create something meaningful for our final submission. We dove into research focused on accessibility, and soon identified one of the most pressing yet underserved problems: mobility for people who are blind or have low vision.

Immersing ourselves in the problem

We reached out to the All-Russian Society of the Blind and conducted interviews with over 100 participants. Their responses surfaced repeated frustrations around independent navigation — not knowing where a crosswalk starts, identifying traffic lights without sound signals, keeping a straight path while crossing the road, or figuring out which bus just arrived.

To deepen our understanding, we interviewed an expert in inclusive design and shadowed blind individuals in their daily routines. We wanted to understand not only the problems, but how existing technologies — like smartphones with built-in screen readers — could be leveraged as part of the solution.

Prototyping the hypothesis

We formed a simple hypothesis: an app that could identify navigation elements like pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, and read them out loud in real time, would significantly improve mobility.

To test this, we conducted a role-playing prototype. A blind accessibility expert, Pavel Popko, joined us on a video call while walking through the city. We watched the video feed and guided him vocally — effectively simulating what the future neural network might do.

Through this experience, we learned that spatial orientation is best communicated using “clock face” language (e.g., “three o’clock” instead of “right”), and that curbs and tactile cues are vital for independent navigation.

Designing the interface and device

Our early UI prototypes helped us quickly identify accessibility gaps. We redesigned the interface with large, high-contrast typography — using black, white, and yellow for maximum visibility and color-blind friendliness.

We also explored hardware options. While a body-mounted camera seemed logical, it proved ineffective due to its narrow field of view. We then partnered with Ulyana Kovalenko and Ekaterina Kudryavina, industrial design students, to develop smart glasses that housed a camera, speaker, battery, and touch controls. The glasses streamed video to the phone via Bluetooth, allowing hands-free navigation.

Shaping the full experience

We designed the physical product to feel seamless in daily use. The glasses would enter sleep mode when removed and could be charged using a custom wireless charging case. Touch sensors on the frame allowed users to turn the device on or check battery levels with simple gestures.

Even small details — like the battery’s weight distribution and the use of acetate (plant-based plastic) — were carefully considered to ensure the glasses were lightweight, durable, and comfortable to wear.

Bringing the vision to life

To convey the product vision, we collaborated with film students from the Moscow Film School to create a short video showing how Hilight could improve everyday commutes for blind users. This storytelling component helped communicate not just what we built — but why it mattered.

The result

We submitted Hilight to the Red Dot Design Awards, where it won Best of the Best in the Brands & Communication Design category in 2019.

But more than the award, the project taught me how inclusive design starts with empathy, and how real-world testing and interdisciplinary collaboration can drive powerful outcomes. I’m still grateful for everyone who helped bring Hilight to life — from our mentors to the accessibility advocates who shared their experiences and insights.