LYRAID
LOGO
BRANDING
MOTION
UI
Lyraid was my senior project, it is a communication company
helping individuals with Complex Communication Needs.
Lyraid is a proposed company that focuses on providing free innovative Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools and solutions to individuals with Complex Communication Needs (CCN). Unfortunately not everyone has equal access to language and communication. Many individuals have communication disorders and are not able to use speech to interact with others.
Lyraid is themed around the Lyre Bird, an Australian mocking bird. It is one of the best in the world at replicating noises it hears and is highly regarded and respected. I felt it would be the perfect mascot for Lyraid, which is where the name for the company originates. Lyr-Aid.
Educating
Lyraid’s goal
Communication is a human right, it should not come at a cost. Unfortunately many of the big companies that provide AAC services see the AAC users as customers, not people. This often leads to over-priced tools that set AAC users back financially or leave them without tools if they can not afford them.
In the following images I address issues in the AAC industry and how Lyraid will provide solutions.
Defining Studios, LLC, Courtesy of the Hartford Art School Galleries, University of Hartford
Defining Studios, LLC, Courtesy of the Hartford Art School Galleries, University of Hartford
Digital AAC Board
Digital AAC boards provide individuals with CCN the ability to communicate quickly and efficiently. I wanted to make the board usable for anyone who needed it, so I provided many different accessibility settings. There are also three different icon sets which can cater to different age/stylistic preferences.
I collaborated with a coder to design the board to create a functioning prototype. We integrated an AI speech model as well to help turn words into grammatical sentences to save the user time and to sound more human.
This is a recording of the Digital AAC Board in use.
Printed AAC boards, are also an important alternative to the digital boards. The laminated boards can be used if the user doesn’t have or can not afford a device to run the digital board. They are also important in places were a digital device could be damaged, such as on the beach, bathroom, or around messy food, just to name a few. Theoretically the boards could be customized on the website and printed so the boards are customized for individual needs.
The boards each have one of the three different icon sets. Modern, Energy, Cartoon. They are designed to ensure people of all different ages feel comfortable using the boards. While technically they are all designed for a specific age range in mind, (Modern > Adult, Energy > Teen, Cartoon > Child) they have these names to not make anyone feel bad about choosing their preferred style.
‘Modern’ icon set with color
The back of the boards
‘Energy’ icon set one color
‘Cartoon’ icon set with color
Awareness
Small Pins
I designed 12 different pins, people could wear to help raise awareness and to show they support Lyraid and AAC users.
Below is a close up of what a few of the pins look like.
Lyr-aid AAC Users
Support AAC
Lyre Bird Pattern
Showcasing Lyraid
Demonstrating the Digital AAC Board
Educational Video
VIEW ALL PROJECTS
© 2024 Justin Stochel
jstocheldesign@gmail.com