Innovation of a Smartphone App Design as Used in Face-To-Face Communication for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing

In recent years, our daily communication methods and behaviours have been transformed through new forms of communication media and technologies such as social media and smartphones. New communication technologies have opened new communication opportunities. On the other hand, communication is the main problem for Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HoH) people. Are new communication technologies able to address this problem? This study is a practice-based research project that aims to explore new communication opportunities for bridging the face-to-face communication gap between D/HoH and hearing people by developing a smartphone app. Creative practice (via interaction design)combined with ethnography (via interview)isthe primary research method utilised in this study. The results of this study propose a solution, which is a smartphone application (app) that can be used to assist face-to-face communication between D/HoH and hearing people. This smartphone app provides an innovative way of using computer-mediated communication (CMC) in face-to-face communication; this allows conductingand incorporating physical interaction with nonverbal messages. In addition, it provides various ways of inputting messages that facilitate communication process and it provides a specific mode for the elderly.