hearing birdsong

An app to support early hearing loss diagnosis

Hearing birdsong was inspired by Angela, a hearing loss patient who inspired the nation to seek help for hearing loss.

I was at the design museum one weekend, when I saw this awakening display on future ageing. As we all might be or feel young, slowly we are ageing in many ways as each day goes by. Whether where walking the pram or passing by the road we must try take few minutes to be in the moment to hear what melodies of birds we can hear.

Angela’s Story

Angela walks in the woods. She knows the old routes like she knows the length of her stride or the back of her hand. She knows how the light plays through the leaves in autumn and the exact density of the frozen earth in winter. She knows the smells of the seasons. But most of all, she knows the songs of the birds that greet her: the little melodies of her daily pilgrimage.

One day, the songs start fading. They fade so softly and so slowly that Angela doesn’t hear them slipping away. But they keep fading. And one day Angela is walking in the woods, and there are no more melodies.

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Hearing birdsong is an immersive digital audioscape that uses the tranquil sound of British birdsong to help people to engage with their hearing health.

The traditional method used to diagnose hearing loss has not changed for more than 50 years. Currently, more than 12 million adults in the UK experience symptoms of hearing loss, but the majority will never be fitted for hearing aids. Yet hearing loss creates many age-related challenges, including social exclusion, cognitive deterioration and increased risk of dementia.

The hearing birdsong app aims to reduce the stigma associated with hearing loss and to support early diagnosis by creating an enjoyable experience that allows people to check their hearing in the privacy of their own homes.

Conceived by design studio Kennedy Woods, and developed using insights from a steering group of patients and experts in hearing loss. With support from Design Age Institute, Kennedy Woods has collaborated with digital product developers Studiomade to develop the prototype into an app for the healthy ageing marketplace.