MRM | The Webby Awards | 5G for Change Hackathon Finalist

5iGn Language

We live in an unprecedented time where technology is reshaping our world in radical and amazing ways. At the same time, big problems are everywhere. There’s no shortage of things that need to be fixed. 5G is an invaluable tool in that pursuit—speed, access, and real-world change for the better.
5G was the catalyst of this hackathon, bringing this idea to life. Making change happen for the good through 5G technology.
The brief was simple: what do you want to fix? And how can 5G and the Internet help us fix it?

Idea:

Video conferencing wasn’t built for people who are deaf. And accessibility features are few and far between. Deaf users are often forced to come up with workarounds to troubleshoot their video conference experience.

The idea for 5iGn Language is to create a 5G-enabled AI that translates spoken language into ASL and ASL into spoken language, all in real time. This AI is embedded into video conferencing software and uses an avatar that signs and punctuates sentences with facial expressions. This gives the proper emphasis and meaning since ASL is an emotive language and uses more than just hands.

Designed with the needs of users in mind

For deaf users, the video conferencing experience is all visual. With accessibility guiding this idea, careful consideration went into the interface, brand design, and visual experience.

Inspired by sign language, the logo features an abstract visual of a hand. The 5iGn Language brand colors have an accessibility contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 and follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).