ÜBER DIESE EPISODE
Marcus interviews Keith Kirkland, co-founder of WearWorks, a wearable technology company creating products and language for all.
Keith shares his background in engineering, and then fashion, before moving into design that can have a greater impact on the public. Keith talks about how his dreams of creating a wearable smart suit that could teach him Kung-Fu then morphed into the creation of the Wayband, a piece of wearable technology that uses haptic language to help people navigate and more fully enjoy the environment around them.
Keith tells how the compassionate approach to design ultimately benefits a great number of users, not just those with visual impairments. Keith then shares some of the successes and failures that naturally occur when creating product design.
Key topics:
- [2:14] Keith’s background in design
- [5:27] What is wearable technology?
- [7:36] Haptic feedback
- [8:16] Creating a company to change the landscape of navigation: WearWorks
- [10:42] Practical real-world application of this haptic navigation
- [15:25] How this technology allows us to be more present in the moment and within our journeys
- [16:55] One of the biggest successes of WearWorks and the Wayband so far
- [20:56] Creating a compassionate product that is universal and equitable to all
- [24:39] Keith shares with us a time that someone was present for him
- [30:41] What piece of art would Keith take with him on a desert island?
- [31:48] What fictional character would Keith be for a day?
- [32:41] If Keith could share one message with the world, what would it be?
Resources for you:
- Learn more about WearWorks: https://www.wear.works/
- PreOrder the Wayband: https://www.wear.works/preorder
- Read about WearWorks successful partnership with the Blind ultramarathon runner, Simon Wheatcroft: https://cnn.it/3h1T2ID
- Connect with Marcus on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcusEngelSpeaker/
- Subscribe to the podcast: https://bit.ly/CompassionAndCouragePodcast
Learn more about Keith Kirkland:
Keith Kirkland is a Fashion and Industrial Designer with a background in Mechanical Engineering. He has created different types of wearable devices, including a Kung-Fu downloading bodysuit. Keith is a natural speaker with a glow of positive energy.
Date: 02/22/2022
Name of show: Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare
Episode title and number: Episode 36 – Keith Kirkland: Navigating the World Through Haptic Technology
