Designers
Designers
Designers
Hearing Aid Jewelry
Challenging Hearing-Aid Stigma Through Jewelry Design
Key Words
Designers
Mabel Green
SUMMARY
My Senior Thesis Capstone explores how design can challenge the stigma younger hearing-aid users often face. While researching adoption, I found that although 4.8 million Americans experience hearing loss, nearly 30% of eligible users choose not to wear hearing aids, largely due to stigma. Combining my focus on accessibility with my passion for jewelry, I identified an opportunity to shift perception. Rather than altering technology, I explore jewelry-inspired design that treats the ear as a canvas, reframing hearing aids as expressions of identity and proving inclusive design can be innovative and meaningful.
challenge
I identified a gap in how hearing aids are perceived by non-users, particularly among younger generations, where visible devices are often associated with stigma. Through user research, case studies, prototyping, and conversations, I found that hearing aids are commonly framed as medical devices rather than everyday products, similar to reading glasses. This revealed an opportunity to use design as a tool for awareness, challenging stigma, normalizing visibility, and encouraging more inclusive approaches within jewelry, fashion, and accessibility design.
Outcome
The project took the form of jewelry-inspired hearing-aid designs that treat the ear as a canvas for personal expression without altering technology. By reframing hearing aids as expressive, everyday objects, it directly addresses the gap in public perception and stigma, normalizing visibility for non-users while empowering current users. This outcome also creates opportunities for audiologists to encourage adoption and for designers to explore inclusive, functional, and aesthetically engaging products in fashion and wearable tech.
MEET THE Designers:
Mabel Green