A bracelet that translates sign language into spoken words has won the 2026 Rimowa Design Prize. Named Nura and created by German design students Samuel Nagel and Paul Feiler, it uses EMG sensors on the forearm to read the muscle signals of signing and convert them into speech, while turning spoken words into readable text for deaf users. The pair received the €20,000 award at a ceremony in Berlin’s Kulturforum on 11 May.
What stands out is the form. Nura is shaped like a manta ray and worn as an elegant accessory — a deliberate break with the clinical look of assistive devices. The design treats accessibility not as a medical add-on but as something people might actually want to wear. And it quietly reframes the question of who ‘good design’ is really for.
So…:
Accessibility becomes something people choose, not just something they need. How can you design for inclusion so well that people opt in?
Source: dezeen.com
Picture: Rimowa Design Prize (press)