University Project | Dolby

Hearing Calibration Check

Creating a novel hearing check experience

Timeline

August - December 2025

Role

UX Designer

Skills

Background Research

User Interviews

Prototyping

Animations

Team

Ivan Hsu

Abha Dash

Jaden Duong

Max Stahl

Kavni Shah

Cyn Wang

Alyssa Vo

Joy Zhang

CONTRIBUTIONS

I researched 10 competitor apps and understood user flow and opportunities

I interviewed a subject-matter-expert to learn about the current processes

I synthesized interview and user feedback to make design decisions and iterations

I designed and prototyped 19 screens and 14 micro-interactions at high fidelity

OVERVIEW

introduction

Dolby is a leader in audio-visual technologies. Our team was tasked with designing a mobile hearing test experience used to calibrate headphones.

problem

Traditional hearing tests have poor user engagement and long procedures, leading to high abandonment rates

Our goal was to reimagine the hearing test experience in a way that is engaging and accessible to users, assisting in audio calibration while promoting better hearing health. We aimed to design our solution to hit these main points:

Takes 5 min. or less to complete

Inclusive to users with all levels of hearing loss

Enjoyable so users complete the test

preview

A quick mobile hearing test using engaging visuals and animations to help users complete the test

PROCESS

comparative analysis

What are other mobile hearing tests doing?

We researched 10 mobile/desktop hearing apps to find what they did well, what could be improved, and opportunities for our designs.

user interviews

What are the current perceptions of hearing tests and health apps?

Through interviewing 16 people ranging from 17-91 years old with varying levels of hearing loss what people think about hearing tests and looked for needs to address.

Users lacked interest in taking hearing tests

Most users said they would only take a test when they sensed something was wrong or if a doctor recommended it

Users doubt the accuracy of health related apps

Tracking health with a mobile device was not trusted unless they had mdecial certifications or reputable sources

Users wanted quick and simple hearing tests

Users wanted tests to be short as they didn't care too much about their hearing health and just wanted to get through them

Refocusing the scope from health to calibration

Rather than making a health based app liked planned, we shifted to calibration, meaning we wouldn't need the most accurate test, rather, just one user want to take. By doing so, our team could experiment with exploratory ideas instead of being limited to the current standard.

user flow

Comparing user flows to find a balance of engagement and time

Using our prior research, we mapped out the flow of other mobile tests and used it to determine our app's user flow. The goal for our design was to:

Get to the test quickly with enough instructions for a smooth experience

Avoid long sign-up processes that deter users from starting the test

Not have the test go so fast that users don't understand but not so long they get bored

wireframes

Early wireframes helped us visualize our proposed ideas

Our design focused on creating a visual story in each testing screen to increase engagement and using a slider based-interaction for control and accuracy.

user testing

Testing with users solidified our decision of interactions and visuals

Our team wanted to confirm our hypotheses of using story visuals and a slider for increasing engagement so we tested the story and an abstract visual along with 3 common interaction types. Here's what users said:

Story

"more enjoyable"

"relatable"

"interesting"

"made me want to do the it"

Abstract

"added confusion"

"distracting"

"be bored"

"might lose interest"

5/7

Users

preferred the story visuals

Story visuals gave users a scenario to do the test for, helping give a goal for users and keeping them engaged

Slider lets users control volume themselves but can take a long time from trying to be perfect

PRESS + HOLD

Tracks when a user can't hear but can lead to uncertainty from the user

TAP

Simple and quick however reaction times cause possible inaccurate results

The slider kept users engaged by giving full control rather than waiting for a sound, removing reaction time reliance unlike other interactions

3/6

Users

preferred the slider interaction

RESULT

final design

A quick and engaging hearing check

The final version of our hearing check gives users a clear flow and simple to use interactions, along with microinteractions to help them, for an engaging and quick experience.

Onboarding to guide and prepare users

Initial screen starts test immediately. Instructions and information help users know what to expect

Testing to calibrate and check hearing

Users use multiple sliders to test at different frequencies. Visuals and animations keep users engaged and provide feedback.

Results to help users know what to do next

Personalized hearing results give specialized feedback and calibrate an ideal headphone listening experience

impact

Impact Takeaways

Designed a new and unique hearing test concept that increased perceived engagement

Discovered user thoughts of hearing health and tests to shift team focus on calibration

Introduced a different testing experience that can be further tested to see its market viability