Exploring Hearing Aids and Super Normal Design

The pink plastic hearing aid has come to epitomise an outmoded medical model of disability. A new convention is to adopt the silver-painted plastic and blue LEDs of consumer electronics. Initiatives such as the HearWear exhibition at the V&A have invited designers to explore yet more radical futures for hearing technology. Yet might this overlook the positive aspects of a traditional, even ‘iconic’ form? As society becomes more inclusive, more disabled people are comfortable acknowledging their disability rather than concealing it. Perhaps many wearers do not need their hearing aids to be reconceived, just designed with more nuance?

The notion of ‘Super Normal’––coined by designers to mean something that is so understated as to look almost un-designed, yet designed skilfully and subtly nonetheless––is interesting in this context. And of course challenging, given the word ‘normal’ juxtaposed with disability; super normal with extra-ordinary. Hearing impairment plays out differently across Deaf culture, as part of a cultural identity, and age-related hearing loss, in which it is more likely a source of social isolation. We also have anecdotal evidence that some wearers prefer the experience of analogue to digital technology, so these notions may also have a relevance to hearing aid electronics design.

Given these rich socio-technical perspectives, hybrids of the traditional and innovative are of interest. We are particularly interested in a practice-based PhD and remain open minded about what this practice might be: whether exploring these questions through prototyping, design provocations, exhibition and/or public engagement.

For information on Evaluation and Criteria Guidance, Funding and Eligibility & How to Apply please click here - https://www.findaphd.com/search/PhDDetails.aspx?CAID=3380