‘Voice In Sight’ is a mix of Ku Jia-Yu’s creative vision and futuristic design

As dystopian narratives popularised through comic books, graphic novels, and films are slowly becoming visible in our quotidian lives, creative solution-based innovations are also following tread. Just like these extant events and happenings were foretold in myths and stories, the measures sought for them also borrow references from automobiles, costumes and architecture constructed to rescue mankind in the fictional milieu. Voice In Sight, a human suit conceptualised by Taiwanese designer Ku Jia-Yu, following similar examples from science fiction recitals, is built for a future where our atmosphere may not be habitable. Moreover, the costume design won the Golden Pin’s Young Pin Design Award, which lauds extraordinary works by young designers in Taiwan. Explaining how Voice In Sight, an outfit that illuminates in response to auditory signals, pays homage to the deaf community, Jia-Yu says, “I try to portray the situation of hearing-impairment in a way with freedom and beauty, through the poetry of colours.”

The human suit, comprising a robe and a bulbous headgear that allows people to isolate themselves in their own bubbles, also facilitates communication. Bearing a resemblance to the outfits donned by beloved and sometimes disliked characters from our favourite films and books, it is hard not to draw parallels. Evoking at times the image of the death-eaters from the Harry Potter universe and at other times, serving as a specimen for cyborgs, cyberpunk characters or astronaut suits, this outfit, designed for an impending future where the environment is unlivable, is also a fashionable futuristic costume.

The headgear’s transparent visor, encircling the wearer’s face, offers an adequate view of one’s facial profile ensuring that visibility is not limited. A special feature that characterises the costume is a set of lights fixed on the headgear. They light up in response to the wearer speaking, hence alerting people around. It was especially added as a feature in the robe-like outfit for people from the deaf community. Jia-Yu, who is also hard of hearing, has experienced, first hand, certain limitations in his daily life. Although most people who are deaf can now make out sounds in their surroundings with the help of hearing aids, they still struggle to perceive every aural stimulation. “I’m a hearing-impared person. Daily difficulties inspire me to create art and design based on the feelings of conflicts between the environment and myself. These creative works also help me communicate more conveniently with others,” says Jia-Yu about his inspiration behind this project.

This speculative design piece works towards converting sound energy to light energy, producing visual waves of colours. “People who are hard of hearing depend on sight observation a lot, which boosts their visual sense. They respond better to visual provocation,” Jia-Yu explains. Although inspired by the product designer’s personal day-to-day experiences, Jia-Yu also recognises how wearing a costume that covers one within a pod from head to toe will impact their hearing capacity. In a situation such as this, his proposal of a colourful indicator over what could have been a loud and noisy signal is not only a calmer response, but also an alluring one.

Developed by the Taipei based designer as a response to the rapidly declining air quality across international metropolitan cities, but also as a reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, this full body suit ensures that the wearer always breathes fresh air. This is warranted by the presence of an air-purifying membrane at the back of the headgear. Although the product design has its limitations and brings up questions about mobility, and feasibility of its usage while sitting and lying down, the combination of this unique design with future technology to create a wearable design piece that is also portable presents the scope to develop more such aesthetically pleasing and technologically advanced usable designs in the future.