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Flowchart of AmiVest
Inspiration
We were inspired by the lack of accessible tools that help visually impaired people enjoy fashion and feel confident in their daily outfit choices. Apps like Vision: for blind people showed us how accessibility features can change lives, and we wanted to apply that same idea to the fashion world. AmiVest was born from the belief that style should be inclusive, collaborative, and confidence-boosting for everyone.
What it does
AmiVest connects visually impaired users with volunteers and an AI stylist to create outfits that are tailored to the weather, color coordination, and personal style. Users can upload photos of their clothes using the camera, and either volunteers or the AI stylist can suggest matching outfits.
All features are designed to be fully accessible through screen readers, voice-over functionality, and tap navigation. Communication within the app can happen through calls, voice messages, or text that is converted to speech for blind users. The app also fosters a sense of community and inclusivity by allowing volunteers to directly support users in their styling decisions.
How we built it
We started by designing the prototype in Figma, focusing on high contrast visuals and accessibility-first layouts. For development, we used Snack Expo to build the app in React Native directly in the browser.
Some of the features we implemented include integrated text-to-speech for blind accessibility, camera support for clothing recognition, and a basic stylist functionality for outfit suggestions. We collaborated by brainstorming ideas through shared documents, design tools, and versioning platforms, which helped us keep the workflow organized and consistent.
Challenges we ran into
One of the biggest challenges we faced was the learning curve of working with React Native, especially while balancing our school and moving schedules. Another challenge was making sure that the user interface worked seamlessly for both sighted volunteers and visually impaired users, since accessibility requirements demanded careful design and testing.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud of designing and coding a working prototype that reflects our vision for AmiVest. We successfully created a simple and inclusive design system in Figma that translated well into code. We are also proud of coming up with a unique and original idea that addresses a real-world need in an innovative way.
In addition, we built a functional front end and laid the groundwork for accessibility features. Despite our time constraints, we were able to establish a strong foundation for future development.
What we learned
Throughout this project, we learned how to design and code with accessibility as the first priority rather than treating it as an afterthought. We also learned the importance of collaboration and how splitting roles between design and development made the process smoother. Another takeaway was that creative branding and naming can make a project more impactful—for example, AmiVest comes from the Latin roots “Amicitia” (friendship) and “Vestes” (clothing).
What's next for AmiVest
Next, we plan to integrate secure and accessible video calling between users and volunteers to improve real-time interaction. We also want to build a volunteer network where people can sign up to help visually impaired users directly through the app. In addition, we plan to expand the stylist functionality to include in-app fashion advice, seasonal outfit recommendations, and trending style suggestions. These next steps will allow AmiVest to become a more powerful and inclusive fashion tool for the visually impaired community.
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