Around 1.45 million people in Japan suffer from a visual impairment that falls under the category of low vision. A spin-off of lens producer Hoya called Vixion wants to address a subgroup of users with a new pair of goggles to help those with night blindness and low peripheral vision. Vixion has partnered with Japanese design studio Nendo to define both the company’s brand identity and the design of the new device. 

Vixion’s visor looks like a set of VR or AR goggles with a single camera placed in the centre of the frame. The lens captures images which are then processed to increase brightness and contrast before being projected onto a semitransparent display in front of the user’s eyes. 
“The startup’s name comes from replacing the S in Vision with an X, that letter which draws out the potential within us all”, explains Nendo. “The logo consists of a single line gently separated from another smaller line to express the idea of people with low vision or blindness taking a bold new step toward society and the future. The main colours, dark blue and white, were selected to avoid overly strong contrast and for being gentle on the eyes for easy viewing”. 

Vixion’s new product is a useful application of inclusive design in the growing market of wearable goggles. With companies like Apple expected to release their own AR or VR goggles soon, this kind of devices has the chance to become more and more socially accepted, opening a series of exciting opportunities for companies and startups to bring to market their solution for people with conditions that fall under the umbrella of vision impairments.