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Microsoft Global Hackathon
Challenge:
Designing for accessibility––an inclusive online experience for all users to be able to enjoy a manga series
Result:
A screen reader on MSN (Microsoft Start)
Timeline:
September 2022, though an ongoing initiative with Microsoft Japan's Bing team
Location:
Tokyo, Japan (Remote)
Awards:
Certificate of achievement for Second Place / Runner-up (People's Choice) - Tokyo Venue
Team(s):
Microsoft Japan
Microsoft Taiwan
Microsoft Canada
Microsoft US
"My team set out to build an ongoing POC that could recognize emotions in manga and turn them into speech using a screen reader, making it more inclusive and accessible for those with visual impairments––eventually becoming the first manga experience on Microsoft Start.
As the sole designer on the team, I leveraged Azure Text-to-Speech and research on manga tropes to craft audio description scripts that aligned with characters, emotions, and scenes. My designs ensured that the prototype felt authentic to manga culture while remaining user-centric for all audiences.
I’m excited to be participating again this year with the Tokyo venue––this time focusing on cultural innovation and creating an agentic experience that bridges language awareness."
© 2025 Brenda Saccomando