Facett

Leah Heiss

Facett

Research output: Non-textual form › Design / Architecture › Research

Abstract

Research Background
Responding to international discourse surrounding the empowerment of disabled communities, Leah Heiss questioned why medical devices are often aesthetically lacking and difficult to use. Wanting to destigmatise hearing aids, Heiss began probing how style and function could align to create a medical device that people wanted to wear, and which helped people to hear. Collaborating with Blamey Saunders Hears, they created the world’s first self-fit modular hearing aid.

Research Contribution
Taking inspiration from Museums Victoria mineralogy collection, Facett’s design minimises the stigma of hearing aids by making them look precious rather than medical. It functions differently too – its intuitive magnetic connector bypasses the need to change tiny batteries, a frustration for people with arthritic fingers or vision impairment. Heiss spent time with 25 hearing aid users to understand their experience of hearing loss. The project highlights Heiss’ commitment to human-centred design which brings together medical science, industrial design and has empathy and collaboration at its core.

Research Significance
• Funded by the Commonwealth Government's Accelerating Commercialisation Grant
• Design is registered with IP Australia, European Design Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Museums Victoria and Museum of Arts and Sciences acquired the 3-year design process i.e. models, images, sketches
• Winner of 2018 Good Design Award (Australia's peak design industry award)
• Two Best in Class Good Design Awards (Product Design and Social Innovation); CSIRO Design Innovation Award; 3 Victorian State Government iAwards (Research & Development Project of the Year; Community Service Markets; and
Infrastructure & Platforms Innovation of the Year)
• Winner of 2018 Victorian Premier's Design Award (Product)
• Discussed widely in Australian mainstream print and televised media
• Included in Melbourne’s Pavilion at 2018 Hong Kong Business of Design Week, curated by The National Gallery of Victoria

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Publisher	Museums Victoria
Publication status	Published - 2018
Externally published	Yes
Event	Augmented Humans International Conference 2018 - Melbourne Museum, Melbourne, Australia Duration: 29 Jun 2018 → 29 Jun 2018 https://museumsvictoria.com.au/article/augmented-humans/

'Facett' - SM - 'Design for Life'
Heiss, L. (Designer), 2020
Research output: Non-textual form › Design / Architecture › Other
Selected works in 'Agency by Design: Expressive Design for Disability' - Tuggeranong Arts Centre
Heiss, L. (Designer), Macarow, K. (Developer), Beckett, P. (Developer), Matthews, G. (Developer), Bush, M. (Developer) & Blamey Saunders hears, 2020
Research output: Non-textual form › Design / Architecture › Other
'Facett' - SM - 'Spectra: The Art and Consequence of Collaboration' - UTS
Heiss, L. (Designer), 2019
Research output: Non-textual form › Design / Architecture › Other

'Facett' - Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
Heiss, L. (Contributor)
18 Mar 2022
Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Acquisition
'Facett' - Museum of Victoria
Heiss, L. (Contributor)
2018 → …
Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Acquisition

GRAFFICA: 'Leah Heiss'
Heiss, L.
1/01/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
HERALD SUN: 'Six Degrees of Innovation'
Heiss, L.
27/10/18
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
DEZEEN: 'Facett hearing aid takes inspiration from precious gemstones'
Heiss, L.
10/10/18
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature

2018 CSIRO Design Innovation Award - Facett
Blamey, P. J. (Recipient), Heiss, L. (Recipient) & Kaufman, Y. (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
2018 Good Design Award - Best in Class: Product Design - Medical and Scientific - Facett
Blamey, P. J. (Recipient), Heiss, L. (Recipient) & Kaufman, Y. (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
2018 Good Design Award - Best in Class: Social Impact - Facett
Blamey, P. J. (Recipient), Heiss, L. (Recipient) & Kaufman, Y. (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)

Cite this

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title = "Facett",

abstract = "Research Background Responding to international discourse surrounding the empowerment of disabled communities, Leah Heiss questioned why medical devices are often aesthetically lacking and difficult to use. Wanting to destigmatise hearing aids, Heiss began probing how style and function could align to create a medical device that people wanted to wear, and which helped people to hear. Collaborating with Blamey Saunders Hears, they created the world{\textquoteright}s first self-fit modular hearing aid. Research Contribution Taking inspiration from Museums Victoria mineralogy collection, Facett{\textquoteright}s design minimises the stigma of hearing aids by making them look precious rather than medical. It functions differently too – its intuitive magnetic connector bypasses the need to change tiny batteries, a frustration for people with arthritic fingers or vision impairment. Heiss spent time with 25 hearing aid users to understand their experience of hearing loss. The project highlights Heiss{\textquoteright} commitment to human-centred design which brings together medical science, industrial design and has empathy and collaboration at its core. Research Significance • Funded by the Commonwealth Government's Accelerating Commercialisation Grant • Design is registered with IP Australia, European Design Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office • Museums Victoria and Museum of Arts and Sciences acquired the 3-year design process i.e. models, images, sketches • Winner of 2018 Good Design Award (Australia's peak design industry award) • Two Best in Class Good Design Awards (Product Design and Social Innovation); CSIRO Design Innovation Award; 3 Victorian State Government iAwards (Research \& Development Project of the Year; Community Service Markets; and Infrastructure \& Platforms Innovation of the Year) • Winner of 2018 Victorian Premier's Design Award (Product) • Discussed widely in Australian mainstream print and televised media • Included in Melbourne{\textquoteright}s Pavilion at 2018 Hong Kong Business of Design Week, curated by The National Gallery of Victoria ",

author = "Leah Heiss",

note = "injection moulded plastic, electronics, microphones, wiring; additive manufactured plastics, polymers and metals.; Augmented Humans International Conference 2018, AHs 2018 ; Conference date: 29-06-2018 Through 29-06-2018",

year = "2018",

language = "English",

publisher = "Museums Victoria",

url = "https://museumsvictoria.com.au/article/augmented-humans/",

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A2 - Heiss, Leah

N1 - injection moulded plastic, electronics, microphones, wiring; additive manufactured plastics, polymers and metals.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Research Background Responding to international discourse surrounding the empowerment of disabled communities, Leah Heiss questioned why medical devices are often aesthetically lacking and difficult to use. Wanting to destigmatise hearing aids, Heiss began probing how style and function could align to create a medical device that people wanted to wear, and which helped people to hear. Collaborating with Blamey Saunders Hears, they created the world’s first self-fit modular hearing aid. Research Contribution Taking inspiration from Museums Victoria mineralogy collection, Facett’s design minimises the stigma of hearing aids by making them look precious rather than medical. It functions differently too – its intuitive magnetic connector bypasses the need to change tiny batteries, a frustration for people with arthritic fingers or vision impairment. Heiss spent time with 25 hearing aid users to understand their experience of hearing loss. The project highlights Heiss’ commitment to human-centred design which brings together medical science, industrial design and has empathy and collaboration at its core. Research Significance • Funded by the Commonwealth Government's Accelerating Commercialisation Grant • Design is registered with IP Australia, European Design Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office • Museums Victoria and Museum of Arts and Sciences acquired the 3-year design process i.e. models, images, sketches • Winner of 2018 Good Design Award (Australia's peak design industry award) • Two Best in Class Good Design Awards (Product Design and Social Innovation); CSIRO Design Innovation Award; 3 Victorian State Government iAwards (Research & Development Project of the Year; Community Service Markets; and Infrastructure & Platforms Innovation of the Year) • Winner of 2018 Victorian Premier's Design Award (Product) • Discussed widely in Australian mainstream print and televised media • Included in Melbourne’s Pavilion at 2018 Hong Kong Business of Design Week, curated by The National Gallery of Victoria

AB - Research Background Responding to international discourse surrounding the empowerment of disabled communities, Leah Heiss questioned why medical devices are often aesthetically lacking and difficult to use. Wanting to destigmatise hearing aids, Heiss began probing how style and function could align to create a medical device that people wanted to wear, and which helped people to hear. Collaborating with Blamey Saunders Hears, they created the world’s first self-fit modular hearing aid. Research Contribution Taking inspiration from Museums Victoria mineralogy collection, Facett’s design minimises the stigma of hearing aids by making them look precious rather than medical. It functions differently too – its intuitive magnetic connector bypasses the need to change tiny batteries, a frustration for people with arthritic fingers or vision impairment. Heiss spent time with 25 hearing aid users to understand their experience of hearing loss. The project highlights Heiss’ commitment to human-centred design which brings together medical science, industrial design and has empathy and collaboration at its core. Research Significance • Funded by the Commonwealth Government's Accelerating Commercialisation Grant • Design is registered with IP Australia, European Design Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office • Museums Victoria and Museum of Arts and Sciences acquired the 3-year design process i.e. models, images, sketches • Winner of 2018 Good Design Award (Australia's peak design industry award) • Two Best in Class Good Design Awards (Product Design and Social Innovation); CSIRO Design Innovation Award; 3 Victorian State Government iAwards (Research & Development Project of the Year; Community Service Markets; and Infrastructure & Platforms Innovation of the Year) • Winner of 2018 Victorian Premier's Design Award (Product) • Discussed widely in Australian mainstream print and televised media • Included in Melbourne’s Pavilion at 2018 Hong Kong Business of Design Week, curated by The National Gallery of Victoria

M3 - Design / Architecture

PB - Museums Victoria

CY - Melbourne, Vic, Australia

T2 - Augmented Humans International Conference 2018

Y2 - 29 June 2018 through 29 June 2018

ER -

Facett

Abstract

Research output

Activities

Press/Media

Prizes

Cite this