Let’s ask some clarifying questions then jump into the user journey and requirements for an alarm clock.

Clarifying question:

Is this for a phone app or physical clock? Physical.

Deaf can mean legally deaf versus fully cannot hear – I’ll assume this is for those who can fully not hear.

Users:

Already determined the alarm clock is for the deaf.  This alarm clock can be used for any age group.

User Journey:

Typical user journey for an abled person would be to set the time phycially on the clock and have a button to then turn it off when it goes off and reset as necessary. Voice activated alarms such as Amazon Alexa also exist, however, this would not work for the deaf community as many have trouble with speech pronunciation and wouldn’t be able to confirm that it registered.

Pain Points:

– Cannot hear the alarm going off in order to wake them.

MVP Requirements:

– capability to set the time

– capability for an alarm of some sort to go off

– capability to turn the alarm on/off/snooze

Solutions:

– The alarm clock may still work via setting the time as a traditional alarm clock would via hour/minute settings

– The alarm clock may operate on/off/snooze like a traditional alarm clock would via buttons.

– To wake someone who cannot hear – this would require gentle movement. My suggestion for this would be a mattress pad that is attached to the alarm clock via a wire. The pad would live under the sheets for the deaf person and vibrate at a level necessary to wake them. This vibration can have different pulse settings and intensity as some people are heavier sleepers than others. A back up option could also be siren-like lights. Mimicking sunlight is another way people are woken up in the absence of noise.

Risks: movement throughout the night off of the vibrating pad – must cover the full bed

This type of system would require user testing to ensure it’s sufficient to wake people.

I would also note that this can be used for those who are not disabled as well who prefer a gentler way of waking up to a loud noise.