Our project was selected and even won an Accessibility Award, and when we were invited to present at GEM’s Half-Yearly Meeting, we knew it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. We took the stage at De Rechtbank in Utrecht, sharing the work we’d been working in from September 2022 to June 2023. This project was about exploring the challenges that visually impaired users face in digital environments. Our presentation covered everything from the initial problem statement to understanding our target audience, the process we followed, and the most valuable insights we uncovered. At the heart of our message was a simple, but powerful idea: empathy is everything. We stressed the importance of going beyond assumptions and engaging in genuine conversations with users. Time and again, we found that what we thought we knew about our audience didn’t match their actual experiences. This reinforced a lesson we hold close: true user-centric design only happens when you dive deep into the perspectives of those you’re designing for. Throughout the project, our approach was iterative. We conducted user interviews, built prototypes, tested, learned, and repeated. This continuous feedback loop allowed us to adapt and refine our designs to better serve the needs of the visually impaired. The insights gained were not only eye-opening but also practical—leading to design choices that made a real difference. The feedback from our presentation was encouraging, reminding us just how critical this kind of work is. The takeaway we left with the audience was clear: you can’t design meaningful experiences without first listening deeply and building genuine empathy.