2024 Galleries
The Spark Gallery pages are one of our most popular design destinations, with thousands of visitors each year. Check out some of the latest Spark entries, in the galleries below.
Galleries // 2024 Spark:Fall/Winter Student // Vita
Vita
Finalist
Competition: Spark:Fall/Winter Student
Designer: Minji Sim - Vita
Design Type: Product & industrial
Company / Organization / School: Hongik University
Team Members: Gwak Yuri (Hongik University)
Vita is a smartwatch aiming visually impaired individuals to use public bus transportation, which name is inspired by "vitamin" to bring energy to their lives. Visually impaired individuals face several challenges when using buses, especially in busy, noisy urban environments. These challenges include difficulty identifying bus route numbers, finding the exact boarding location at crowded stops, hearing over city noise, and locating the card tagging area for fare payment. These barriers limit their access to public transportation and can restrict their overall mobility. Vita addresses these issues through an intuitive design that uses a tactile figures and braille pop-ups. Users can input their desired bus number, receive real-time arrival information, and identify the correct stop location through touch. Vita also sends their boarding notifications to bus drivers, ensuring a smooth boarding process. Additionally, the watch includes a tagless fare payment system, allowing users to pay without needing to find a card reader. Vita aims to empower visually impaired individuals to travel more independently and confidently, extending their activity range. By making bus travel more accessible and reducing transportation anxiety, Vita fosters greater social participation and inclusion, supporting a more equitable and connected society.
