The everyday charger
Designing a charger for the home
Using rechargeable hearing aids, is to many people a godsend, because you no longer have to deal with changing batteries, dropping them, etc. It does create another situation instead: Being able to charge your devices so they are ready when you are.
I was in charge of the industrial design of the latest desktop charger from GN Hearing, and together with a great and very focused team we managed to quickly move through many iterations and hone in on one strong concept.
Usability
Designing a charger that allows for ease of use, actually is a combination of many factors, including shape, color, navigation, tactility, auditory and tactile feedback and flexibility during use.
A simple thing as connecting the cable, will have to be so simple that most people will be able to do it, based on their previous experiences with other electronic devices. Using a USBC cable, will enable the user to simply plug in, and not worry about which way the cable has to turn.
Another issue is placing the HIs correctly into the charger is challenging too. Using clear, colored markings that relates to the hearing aid markings as well (red is right, blue is left), a vision impared, and with reduced hand dexterity will still be able to place the product correctly.
A very early sketch of the concept, before the direction was modeled up and detailed.