Focals smart glasses
Role: Head of ID, UX manager, assortment planning, CMF, DFM, involved in manufacturing QC. Released in 2018.
North was acquired by Google in 2020
Focals earned a Special Mention in Time Magazine's Best Inventions 2019
Technology has become necessary and inescapable. It helps us stay up to date with the news, shop seamlessly, schedule appointments and order a taxi. But it is also distracting as we find ourselves endlessly scrolling and taking time away from friends and family. I joined North (formerly Thalmic Labs) because they envisioned a future where technology is there when you need it, and gone when you don't. Technology that shortens the time from intent to action, but does not distract or disengage from our surroundings. Focals does just that by presenting relevant information right in front of our eyes in a form factor indistinguishable from regular eyewear.
North was acquired by Google in 2020
Focals earned a Special Mention in Time Magazine's Best Inventions 2019
Technology has become necessary and inescapable. It helps us stay up to date with the news, shop seamlessly, schedule appointments and order a taxi. But it is also distracting as we find ourselves endlessly scrolling and taking time away from friends and family. I joined North (formerly Thalmic Labs) because they envisioned a future where technology is there when you need it, and gone when you don't. Technology that shortens the time from intent to action, but does not distract or disengage from our surroundings. Focals does just that by presenting relevant information right in front of our eyes in a form factor indistinguishable from regular eyewear.
At the time the AR/VR industry was mostly focused on immersive experiences with bulky headsets, but we went the opposite direction: getting as close as possible to regular eyewear with small, meaningful interactions. I was hired as Head of Industrial Design to guide the design of the hardware and peripherals. I built a small team and created a studio space where we could explore and collaborate closely with the engineering teams.
Research
From the outset we were constantly researching - interviewing prescription eyewear wearers to understand their shopping habits and fashion preferences, testing different joysticks for accuracy and comfort (Loop), testing fit on a large number of participants, and more. Collaborating with other teams on highly technical research projects on such a regular cadence was a very rewarding experience both for the product outcome and my personal development.
Research
From the outset we were constantly researching - interviewing prescription eyewear wearers to understand their shopping habits and fashion preferences, testing different joysticks for accuracy and comfort (Loop), testing fit on a large number of participants, and more. Collaborating with other teams on highly technical research projects on such a regular cadence was a very rewarding experience both for the product outcome and my personal development.
Product demo and feedback
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Use case interviews
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Testing various joystick designs
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Hardware
The launch kit consisted of 3 major products (Focals eyewear, the Loop remote and the travel charging case) and accessories (clip-on sunglasses, cable/plug and cleaning cloth) that adhered to a cohesive design language and CMF that emphasized approachability, quality and intuitive use. Each one of these products presented different challenges that required iterative research, prototyping and testing with cross-functional teams which became a regular part of our development process.
The launch kit consisted of 3 major products (Focals eyewear, the Loop remote and the travel charging case) and accessories (clip-on sunglasses, cable/plug and cleaning cloth) that adhered to a cohesive design language and CMF that emphasized approachability, quality and intuitive use. Each one of these products presented different challenges that required iterative research, prototyping and testing with cross-functional teams which became a regular part of our development process.
The major challenges with the eyewear were size and fit. Packing a laser micro projector, battery and speaker into the small volume available in regular eyewear seemed an impossible task. I tip my hat to the engineering team as we solved these challenges together and were able to reduce the footprint enough to avoid suspicion even during face-to-face conversations. They were still "chunky" but this was usually attributed to the style vs added tech.
The micro projector setup was the real challenge, not only due to its size (only relative to the thin temples of eyewear!) but due to the huge constraints needed for the projected image to be visible. In simple terms, an image is projected from the inside of the right temple onto the lens in front of the right eye. The image is then reflected from the lens by bouncing off a hidden holographic film into the user's pupil, reaching the retina to become visible. This is where fit became one of our biggest challenges: everyone's facial anatomy is different, but we needed to place the micro projector and the hologram in perfect alignment for the projected light to go through the pupil.
The micro projector setup was the real challenge, not only due to its size (only relative to the thin temples of eyewear!) but due to the huge constraints needed for the projected image to be visible. In simple terms, an image is projected from the inside of the right temple onto the lens in front of the right eye. The image is then reflected from the lens by bouncing off a hidden holographic film into the user's pupil, reaching the retina to become visible. This is where fit became one of our biggest challenges: everyone's facial anatomy is different, but we needed to place the micro projector and the hologram in perfect alignment for the projected light to go through the pupil.
3D scanning booth
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3D scan of myself showing key datum points
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The geometric complexity to ensure the user could see the image required the 3D scan of the user's head to pinpoint key facial features like the pupils, the ear saddle and nose bridge to then suggest an appropriate size(s) of eyewear. Focals featured adjustable nose pads and temple tips for fine tuning position, much like your optometrist does during your prescription fitting. In hindsight the projector technology was very limiting for a "just wear it and it works" scenario, something we improved with the development of Focals 2.0.
Eyewear is more than a functional product (smart or not). We wear it on the most prized real estate of our bodies and has become a vehicle for self expression in addition to its functional qualities. We expect a lot of choices when shopping for eyewear, and we often own multiple pairs. We launched with 2 frame silhouettes (one roundish, one squarish), each in 3 colorways to offer flattering choices to our users.
Eyewear is more than a functional product (smart or not). We wear it on the most prized real estate of our bodies and has become a vehicle for self expression in addition to its functional qualities. We expect a lot of choices when shopping for eyewear, and we often own multiple pairs. We launched with 2 frame silhouettes (one roundish, one squarish), each in 3 colorways to offer flattering choices to our users.
"D-Frame" on the left, "P3" (round) on the right. Both available in black, fade and tortoiseshell colorways
Concepts and iterations
Our studio was constantly covered in 3D prints as we were constantly evaluating the slightest differences in shapes and surface treatments
The Loop was born as a solution for discreetness as we wanted to keep real-life interactions focused. The idea of making awkward head gestures, tapping the frames repeatedly or even darting your eyes for eye-tracking to navigate the UI in public seemed antithetical to our purpose. The Loop allows the user to easily and discreetly pause a notification or check a quick message without distracting from an in-person conversation. Wearing the Loop like a piece of jewelry meant it was always handy, would not get lost in a pocket or handbag and did not draw too much attention to the tech behind it.
Intuitive use through a joystick
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Available in black and rose gold, aligning with the product family CMF
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The teardrop shape of the Loop is multi-purpose:
- It is distinctive, combining satin finished aluminum with glossy plastic
- It is intuitive to wear in the correct orientation
- The 2-part design allows all the tech to be housed and waterproofed separately from the plastic ring, making assembly quicker and easier
- The internal corner served as a constant surface to place charging contacts without having to customize per size
The charging travel case inherited the sizing complexity from the smart glasses and loop - multiple sizes and adjustable parts of eyewear meant we had to take all the variable combinations to arrive at a one-size-fits-all solution for the case. Additionally, the case features a battery for charging on-the-go, so we used the charging contact area between the case and the eyewear, and the case and the loop as our fixed point for all variable combinations. The resulting compromise was that the eyewear was always aligned to the left wall of the case, with the right side big enough to fit the biggest eyewear size available, and enough clearance in the back for bent temple tips. The case was wrapped in microfiber which felt inviting and comfortable in the hand, and featured a sliver of rose gold that indicated where the case should be opened, tying all the product CMF together.
The case battery provided 2 full charges for the Focals and Loop so you never ran out of power during your day
Multiple 3D prints and functional prototypes helped refine the design of the case
Manufacturing
Developing 3 products with separate suppliers in parallel and in different materials made CMF consistency difficult. But through multiple supplier visits and a lot of help from our QC team we were able to keep the outlook consistent and premium.
Developing 3 products with separate suppliers in parallel and in different materials made CMF consistency difficult. But through multiple supplier visits and a lot of help from our QC team we were able to keep the outlook consistent and premium.
Daily trips to the light booth to check CMF samples became the norm
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Testing the first shots of the injection molded temple tips
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Frames are painted by hand, so the tortoiseshell pattern took the longest to develop
Fabric selection for the charging case
UI/UX
Focals provide you with notifications mirrored from your phone, the ability to read and respond to messages through smart replies or voice-to-text, turn-by-turn navigation and tips on places around you, Uber, your calendar, weather and Amazon Alexa. Features were constantly being added to keep you productive, engaged and without the need to keep pulling out your phone.
Focals provide you with notifications mirrored from your phone, the ability to read and respond to messages through smart replies or voice-to-text, turn-by-turn navigation and tips on places around you, Uber, your calendar, weather and Amazon Alexa. Features were constantly being added to keep you productive, engaged and without the need to keep pulling out your phone.
The clean UI, beautiful animations, intuitive UX and fun sound design were all done by a small and mighty team of talented designers. Once their lead left for greener pastures I had the privilege of managing the team for a few months.
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Focals 2.0
Our teams worked on a new generation of Focals that was never released to the public before the Google acquisition. I see traces of that work in Google's new concepts and hope they continue to focus on discreet experiences that add value.
Our teams worked on a new generation of Focals that was never released to the public before the Google acquisition. I see traces of that work in Google's new concepts and hope they continue to focus on discreet experiences that add value.