Designer Bailey Hikawa accidentally made an accessible product. And now it’s sold by Apple and used by Disabled people everywhere. This is the story behind the Hikawa iPhone Grip and Stand and how tapping into an underserved market helped Bailey sell her entire collection quicker than she could have imagined.
In this premiere episode of What Comes Next, hosts Keely Cat-Wells and Dana Randall chat with Bailey Hikawa to discuss her collaboration with Apple, the iterative process of building an iPhone grip that works for many bodies, and why meaningful design happens at the intersection of art and lived experience.
Bailey discusses her process gathering insights from Disabled consumers, her budgetary considerations when designing an accessible product, and how she marketed the product authentically to the Disability community.
In this episode:
0:00 — Intro: What is the Hikawa PhoneGrip and Stand?
1:45 — The Apple collaboration story
5:30 — Designing with the disabilitycommunity
10:15 — “Pressure is agift”, the creative process
14:20 — Why phones are assistivedevices for everyone
18:00 — Serving an “invisible” market
22:30 — Many designs for many bodies
Learn more about the Hikawa iPhoneGrip and Stand:
Learn more about Level Access: levelaccess.comLearn more about Making Space: making-space.com
Follow Bailey Hikawa: @baileyhikawaon Instagram
Follow Level Access: @LevelAccessA11yon YouTube
Follow Making Space: @_making_space__on Instagram
Follow Advertising Week: @advertisingweekon Instagram
