tempo
AR glasses for performance cyclists
Johann de Villiers and I were tapped to design Tempo’s physical form for this interaction design class project.
Contributors:Macks Brooks, Lia Chon, Hayden Dernbach, Kiana Gregorich, Kaitlyn Ellington, Caleb Aguiar, Johann de Villiers
Duration:Four weeks
BACKGROUND
For every hour spent riding, cyclists currently spend an additional 30–60 minutes planning routes, preparing, and maintaining gear — creating friction that limits how often they can get out on the bike.
For every hour spent riding, cyclists currently spend an additional 30–60 minutes planning routes, preparing, and maintaining gear — creating friction that limits how often they can get out on the bike.
They also rely on five to eight different devices to complete a single workflow. Managing charging, connectivity, and data accuracy compounds unnecessary complexity both before and during rides.
Cyclists are driven by a love of the outdoors and a desire to improve, yet the most controlled training environments exist indoors where variables like terrain and wind are negated.
While effective, these workouts are monotonous and limit opportunities to develop real-world technical skills.
The turquoise overlay graphs the intensity of an optimal indoor workout,
which the elevation map of an outdoor ride (behind) can never really replicate.
APPROACH
Design System
Voice-only interaction models break down under physical strain. As a cyclist’s heart rate rises above 130 bpm, speaking commands becomes exhausting and inefficient, especially when trying to conserve breath during high-intensity efforts.
Secondly, the interface needed to be instantly readable, minimally intrusive, and only appear when necessary, allowing cyclists to stay focused on the terrain ahead without distraction.
VISUAL DESIGN
Nested Design System
Working within the constraints of additive light, the IxD team selected colors near 100% CMYK values to maximize legibility. Paired with TT Interphase, this ensured a highly readable interface in AR. They also designed the system to take advantage of 3D space, layering panels with depth in what we call a nested design system. This approach was carried through both the interface and the physical design of the glasses to create a cohesive design system.
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Physical Form
Johann and I worked closely with the IxD team to ensure the features and visual language of the glasses aligned with the interaction design and interface system. The product was grounded in a vision of technical feasibility within the next ten years, informed by the current state of the industry.
We began by examining both classic cycling glasses and current smart/AR glasses to see what we liked and what features/form factors might be feasible in ten years. We did lots of sketching to explore form language as well as laser-cut paper and cardstock iteration to dial in proportions.
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
Features
Our glasses address the fragmentation of multiple devices in a single cycling workflow by consolidating the functionality of a phone, earbuds, bike computer, heart rate monitor, and cadence sensor into one system. Directions, heart rate, speed, and music are all accessible with the flick of a finger, reducing friction and allowing cyclists to stay focused on the ride.
INTERACTION DESIGN Gestural Navigation
Leveraging the cameras built into the glasses, the IxD team developed a gestural navigation system that allows cyclists to move through screens using simple hand movements, such as raising an index finger for aero bars or using thumb gestures on flat bars. Hayden built a working prototype in Unity on a Meta Quest 3 to demonstrate the feasibility of the interaction.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Final Video
FEATURE HIGHLIGHT
Maintenance Support
FEATURE HIGHLIGHT