IRIS

## Inspiration
This project was inspired by the Greek goddess **Iris**, who is symbolized by the rainbow and acts as a messenger between worlds. The idea of the rainbow led us to think about **light refraction and the iris of the eye**, and how vision can reveal information that is normally invisible. This inspired us to design a tool that helps people **perceive aspects of environments that the naked eye cannot detect**, such as accessibility barriers, physical effort, and sensory conditions.

## What it does
IRIS is a navigation tool that helps users understand the **accessibility and sensory conditions of a route before entering it**. It reveals factors such as stairs, terrain difficulty, crowd density, and noise levels, allowing users to choose paths that match their physical and sensory needs.

## How we built it
We began by researching accessibility challenges faced by people with mobility limitations and sensory sensitivities. From there, we designed user personas and mapped common navigation barriers. Using **Figma**, we built a mobile interface prototype that visualizes route difficulty, accessibility features, and sensory conditions through clear visual cues and simple navigation flows.

## Challenges we ran into
One major challenge was translating complex environmental data into information that is **simple and easy to understand at a glance**. Because our users may have mobility, cognitive, or sensory challenges, we had to carefully design the interface to avoid overwhelming them while still communicating important details.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of
We created a cohesive concept that connects mythology, perception, and accessibility into a meaningful design idea. Our prototype clearly demonstrates how invisible environmental barriers can be transformed into **predictable, readable information** that supports independent navigation.

## What we learned
Through this project we learned how many environmental barriers remain **invisible until someone experiences them directly**. We also learned the importance of designing interfaces that prioritize clarity, accessibility, and user independence.

## What's next for IRIS
Future development could integrate **real-time environmental data**, community accessibility reporting, and wearable technology such as smart glasses. This would allow IRIS to provide even more accurate, real-time insights about the environments users move through.

Built With

• figma