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TUNNEL  VISION


                                                        

Tunnel Vision is an interdisciplinary concept project that proposes a redesign for the Apple AirPods Max, in collaboration with Nike. I built upon the existing partnership between Apple and Nike to explore a soccer focused headphone campaign that brings the culture, aesthetics, and training lifestyle of the sport into an existing Apple product. 

This project starts with user research conducted on Apple AirPods Max owners as well as athletes, and is followed by a physical modeling redesign, an accompanying app, and a branded marketing campaign.

Physical Product
Packaging
UI/UX
Branding/Marketing


Redesign Thinking



Audio has long played a role in focus, ritual, and performance for professional soccer players. Every game, players are seen in the walkout tunnel with over ear headphones. Given that Nike and Apple has an existing partnership, I saw the opportunity to introduce an AirPods Max Redesign, specifically for professional athletes.

When I approached the redesign process for these headphones, I wanted to pay homage to both Nike’s soccer culture and Apple’s design identity. I was drawn to the color silver for its historic role as part of Nike’s Total 90 soccer collection, as well as its pivotal part of Apple’s product line.


Though the AirPods Max are a well designed pair of headphones, they’re not ideal for athletics. I tested a group of 8 AirPods Max users, finding that users brought up weight distribution issues with the AirPods Max due to its heavy body and lightweight frame. After hours of use, the headband became uncomfortable due to the sagging weight of the heavy metal body. In an athletic context, the AirPods Max struck users as poor due to weight and sweat issues.

Ryan, 20: I can never run with my AirPods Max. They’re too bulky.

John, 22: I sweated once with my AirPods Max, they smelled bad for a long time and were hard to clean.

Sketches & 3D Modeling




My design process usually starts with hand sketches. Based on my research findings, I sought to design a new model of the AirPods Max that cut out the bulk and weight distribution issues, as well as the earcups and headband being sweat friendly. Additionally, I wanted to weave in the Nike identity by exploring more sleek and sharp design elements. I then brought my sketches into SolidWorks to 3D model.




App & UI



I also designed an accompanying app for the headphones, drawing inspiration from Nike’s existing apps. Bringing in Nike’s iconic typeface, colors, and visual hierarchy, I mocked up TUNNEL, an accompanying app allowing users to track their training sessions through technology and metrics provided by the headphones. The app features various training modes, such as “Lock In”, “Tempo Sync”, and “Recovery Flow”, each being personalized to different forms of soccer training.


I referenced Nike’s existing apps, such as the SNKRS and Nike Run Club, to inform my design choices for TUNNEL.











Branding & Packaging





Lastly, I wanted to brand this project holistically, beyond a mere product. The packaging design was inspired by the unboxing experience of exclusive Nike shoes. For the marketing campaign, I looked in house at Nike. Nike’s top athletes are symbols of speed, discipline, and execution, which I strove to reflect within the sleek and sharp design elements of the headphones. With that, I chose Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe as my campaign subjects for their electric playstyles and performances.