This accolade is a testament to our commitment to democratizing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) - a journey that started all the way back in 2009, when we launched Proloquo2Go. Since then, we've continued to innovate and push boundaries, culminating in the creation of Proloquo and Proloquo Coach.
The recognition of Proloquo in the Cultural Impact category is also a signal we’re making progress on our mission to make AAC an effective and accepted means of communication.
Proloquo - winner of App Store Award for Cultural Impact!
- 4 minute read
Proloquo has proudly earned the 2023 App Store Award for Cultural Impact. We’re immensely honored to be the first AAC app with this recognition.
Why Proloquo?
AssistiveWare recognized the need for an AAC solution that was intuitive yet clinically sound, with efficient access to a rich set of words while also providing easy-to-understand guidance for families and educators. Our research indicated that many, many people found existing systems overwhelming and struggled to support their child or student effectively. In a way, that is easy to understand. Few people grow up with AAC, so using AAC and helping others to learn language through AAC is inherently difficult.
So, we embarked on developing Proloquo, a tool designed from the ground up to be easy, inviting, and straightforward for non-experts. The journey was not easy and is by no means finished - we see huge opportunities ahead of us, and we’re excited to work with the AAC community to create the AAC technology of the future.
The people behind the app
Creating the next-generation AAC app is not something anyone could achieve alone. Many people contributed and continue to contribute to its success to this day.
Product - make communication accessible for all
For a parent or a teacher new to AAC, the journey is not an easy one. We set out to achieve three things - an AAC app that is clinically sound yet easy to use and learn, that allows everyone around the AAC user to support them, and that through its companion app, Proloquo Coach, gives you the confidence to succeed.
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Our objective was always to develop a tool that makes it easy to start using AAC but with everything in place for the long term. Proloquo’s success in the 2023 App Store Awards is a reflection of our dedication.
Olga
Product Manager
User Experience - turning complexity into simplicity
Creating a product that is both comprehensive and easy to use is a huge user experience challenge. It requires a relentless focus on smoothing the user’s path at every step of the way.
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Our focus was to provide a simple and seamless user experience that hides the complexity and reveals what you need when you need it. It is gratifying to see our efforts are making a real difference in the lives of our users.
Rikako
UX Designer
User Interface - inclusivity through design
Every detail matters when designing a user interface that feels intuitive and inviting yet is accessible for a wide range of people. Color palettes, button shapes, font selection, and text size all need to be perfectly aligned. Not just in light mode but in dark mode too.
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The goal was to design an interface that is not only functional but also beautiful and up-to-date. With Proloquo, I was able to put my experience as an autistic designer to use to create a product that delights our users.
Eleonora
Design Lead
Vocabulary design - every word matters
Creating the Crescendo Evolution™ vocabulary for Proloquo was a long process full of challenges. Few people understand the intricacies in creating a system that is both highly efficient, yet has the depth to support language from first words to adulthood.
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We combined insights from language development experts, user feedback, and extensive research and set a goal to revolutionize AAC. Winning an award for Cultural Impact is a recognition of the importance of this goal.
Willemijn
Vocabulary Design Lead
Development - building an app that changes lives
Perhaps few people are aware that our development team is located in Ukraine. When war broke out in February of 2022, a few weeks before we officially released Proloquo, the development team continued working through hardship and difficulties to deliver what you use today.
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We leveraged Apple’s latest technologies to build an app that is extremely reliable and responsive. We're proud to have built an app that doesn't just function well but significantly enhances the lives of our users.
Olena
Lead developer - Software MacKiev
Over a hundred person-years of work went into creating Proloquo and Proloquo Coach. We would not have been able to achieve this without the dedication of our whole team.
Proloquo: A next-generation AAC solution
Proloquo is a leap forward in AAC technology. Its unique design, informed by extensive research and user data, offers a rich vocabulary and an efficient communication experience for all ages. By supporting language growth all the way to literacy, Proloquo is a comprehensive tool for communication, while its rich set of curriculum words supports full participation in education. To top it off, the companion app, Proloquo Coach provides the necessary guidance to help anyone better support AAC users in their communication journey.
Our social mission
Winning the App Store Award is not just a company achievement; it’s a milestone in our mission to build a more inclusive world for people who cannot speak. Proloquo is already helping thousands of people to express themselves more effectively, enriching not just individual lives but the fabric of our society.
