OTO



Glasgow School of Art / 2021 / Final Year Project
OTO are a pair of headphones that can adapt audio playback to compensate for the hearing loss or sensitivities of the user.

This project was featured in the 2021 Graduate Show of the Tsinghua University International Conference on Art & Design Education.




OTO does this through the creation of hearing profiles, which are used to adapt the frequency balance of audio playback to deliver a higher quality auditory experience.

Immersion Mode and Speech Mode are designed to optimise the audio playback, so that the listener can choose to maximise their enjoyment of music or increase their comprehension of spoken word respectively.

To change between modes, the listener simply has to rotate the left dial, which provides tactile and audio feedback. Turning the right dial adjusts the volume.

More complex controls, such as active noise cancellation and an automatic play/pause feature which allows the user to pause their music when taking headphones off their head, can be adjusted within the app. The hearing profile can also be adjusted in app, if the auditory experience is not satisfactory or if the hearing loss deteriorates over time.


This project covered a full design process, from initial conceptualisation, to detail refinement, to design for manufacture, utilising the Design Council’s evolved double diamond framework. It also explored elements of audio engineering and software engineering, in order to grasp the functionality of the product.

Throughout this project, a focus group of six volunteers were consulted regularly, each with a unique connection to audio - whether it be through their work, education, hearing ability or day to day life. Their individual perspectives and constant feedback helped evolve OTO into a design that responded to a wide range of needs.



© Pepa Chesworth Russell 2023