Athena
Athena was designed to create tactile immersion and extend the joy of music to deaf people
ROLE
PROBLEM
Music is one of the most powerful tools for human connection, yet Deaf communities are systematically excluded from the experience. Existing solutions rely on dangerously high volume or bulky equipment — none of them felt like something you'd actually want to wear.
RESULTS
£10,000 Samsung SFT 2025 Prize Winner
Understanding the Pain Points
Deaf audiences don't lack the desire for music — they lack access to it on their own terms. Through research with the Deaf community, three core pain points emerged: exclusion from live music experiences, reliance on high-volume workarounds that risk further hearing damage, and a market full of medical-looking devices that carry stigma.
Redesigning with Intent
Athena started with a bib — a form that sits close to the chest and neck, where vibration is felt most deeply. The design process moved between neuroscience research, community feedback, and rapid prototyping until the necklace form emerged as both functional and wearable.
In Conclusion
Athena proved that accessibility and desirability aren't opposites. A 2025 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow winner, the project has since been featured on Swedish national television and continues to grow. The next step is production.
