Apple Glass
Imagining the future of reality
UX Design
- Time table 14 weeks
- Role Product Design / UX Design
- Platform GlassOS (speculative)
Introduction
Apple's technological influence spans over one billion devices worldwide, but what do the next billion devices look like? Will we continue to interact with our digital worlds on the same flat touchscreens of glass we are all familiar with?
Recent advancements in the field of Augmented Reality, or AR, have put us on the cusp of an impending revolution in the digital space. As various tech companies rush to standardize and commodity this new enterprise, we must seriously consider the implementation of such technology in the coming years.
I have taken it upon myself in this exercise—of both product design and UX design—to consider the very real possibility of Apple designing their own AR solution in the coming years. Given their unique approach to design, seamless digital ecosystem, and their commitment towards equitable solutions, this challenge taught me a lot about technology and design, and my role in shaping the future of it.
Inspiration
This first started as a string of rumors surrounding Apple's hush-hush research and development into AR technology and devices the past few years. It seemed inevitable that Apple would strive towards creating a pair of unassuming glasses that provide an enhanced, seamless digital experience that integrates the digital world with the real world.
My imagination saw me first sketching out prototype designs and use cases of a hypothetical Apple Glass. Taking inspiration for previous technology (like Google Glass some years prior) and projecting the cutting-edge technology of today into a very realistic form, I sought to make this product as Apple would.
Ideation
The main hurdle of designing this product was answering the simple question, "why would someone wear this?" The aforementioned Google Glass drew immense criticism for its strange appearance, as well as its lack of consideration for the privacy of its users and those around them. In order for Apple Glass to be commercially successful, it has to think different. The device would need to be sleek and fashionable—a feat which Apple, surprisingly, managed to accomplish before with AirPods. It would also need to be genuinely useful in people's everyday lives, without compromising on privacy or defying social norms.
Interaction
Today's digital screens and interfaces would not be compatible with this form of integrated Augmented Reality. Therefor, I had to throw out the book of established rules and principles that dictate modern user experience across smartphones, desktops, and even smartwatches. Because the display overlays the wearer's vision, it needed to only exist when it was absolutely needed. Nobody would appreciate popups and "digital billboards" polluting their vision while walking down the sidewalk, or talking with a friend.
If this device were to offer a truly useful experience compared to Apple's other devices, it would need to support multiple methods of interaction, including hands-free as well as silent inputs. Imagine walking from the grocery store with your hands full of heavy bags, when a notification gets sent to your Apple Glass. How does the notification appear? How do you view it, or dismiss it? Now imagine you are driving on the highway; how do the interactions change with the situation? Or in a movie theater? Or when talking with your boss?
What really drove me to realize this project in the first place was when I discovered the solution to this problem. I call them "glints", but you could just imagine them as a small shade of light that twinkles in your peripheral vision when you receive a notification. The light could be colored to match the app the notification corresponds with. To expand the notification, simply glare towards the glint for a split second, then the text will display in the corner of your eye. After further research and real-world testing, the glint was repositioned to the middle of your vision, directly underneath the horizon.
With a combination of touch controls, voice recognition, eye-tracking technology, motion-tracking cameras, and gyroscopic data, Glass apps can allow for intuitive and accessible interactions and visuals that immerse the wearer into their augmented environment. Imagine a maps app seamlessly overlaying directions overtop the street, or a weather app that allows you to view the forecast just by simply looking up at the sky.
Accessibility
Fitting with Apple's unending commitment to accessibility and equitable design, Apple Glass is revolutionary technology in this pursuit. The microphones and lens displays allow for deaf and hard-of-hearing users to have spoken language transcribed in realtime right in front of their eyes. You would think accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing would end at visual cues, but remarkably, the bone conduction speakers in Apple Glass might enable some users with hearing loss to hear the sounds of their environment loud and clear; similar but not entirely as effective as a cochlear implant.
Blind, visually impaired, and low vision users can take advantage of the device's complex world-tracking camera array to have the world in front of them contextualized via voice assistance. Asking Siri, "what is in front of me?" could be vitally important when needing to identify a road crossing or other object of interest. Also, settings would be available that could allow for Apple Glass to beep or hum when an object ahead is close to the wearer or accelerating towards the wearer. The sheer possibilities when it comes to these ingenious solutions for accessibility is awe-inspiring to me, and gives a firm belief that a product such as this is not just a want for consumers, but a need for many.
Retrospect
When I first began work on this lengthy project, I did not expect to learn so much about the construction of eyeglasses, various lens coatings, the micro-movements of the human eyeball, or the technology that makes cochlear implants function. However, I could not call this project complete without it. I did not dream up a science fiction fantasy with unexplainable phenomena. I asked a simple question about the future of this technology, then proceeded to ponder, engineer, prototype, agonize, design, agonize some more, then realize something I feel is worthy of my strict pride. Do I think Apple will copy everything I laid out here? No, but I hope this is a blueprint for the future, at least how I dream it possible.
