immersive

IMMERSIVE

FITTED VR HEADSET

Soft Goods Construction | Pattern Making | Concept Development | User Research

Growth of the virtual reality industry has led to increasing commercialization of head-mounted displays (HMD) with newer and better technology, yet the strategy for wearing these products has largely remained the same. How could VR headsets be reimagined to feel like they’re not even there?

This design sprint included a week of research, brainstorming, and concept development, followed by an 8-hour day of hands-on, iterative prototyping. Compared to the requested deliverable of a single final prototype, I was able to create two prototype iterations as well as a follow-up presentation documenting the design process and suggestions for next steps.

RESEARCH

My research started with exploring a broad range of products commonly worn on the head and categorizing them into different wearing strategies. I then gathered product references that were either designed for head-mounting or head/neck comfort. Since material comfort is crucial to minimizing physical distractions, I also collected material references that were either designed for direct user contact, mechanical structure, or a combination of both.

Human factors were taken into account by studying surfaces on the body that could counter a load on the head/neck, anthropometry data of the head/neck, and neurovascular anatomy to determine which areas to avoid surface pressure. This research came together when I visited a local VR arcade to conduct a user interview and test popular products first-hand.

EXISTING HEADWEAR

HEADWEAR MATERIALS

HUMAN FACTORS

USER RESEARCH

BRAINSTORM

TOP CONCEPTS

PIVOT

anchor

wrap

Metrics of comfort, fit, adjustability, and materials were used to evaluate how the concepts compared with each other. In the end, the Wrap concept was chosen because it was the most distinctly different than existing products, it had high potential for physical immersion, and was the most feasible to fully prototype within the 8-hour time frame.

PROTOTYPING

HEADSET HARDWARE

Prototyping began with recreating the rough dimensions, weight, and eye distance of a standard head-mounted display. Jelly beans were used to match that weight without the need to source materials with specific densities.

WRAP - ITERATION 1

The first HMD prototype took a similar form to a beekeeping hat, with an open pocket for holding the VR display mock-up. A lightweight stretch knit was chosen for comfort and breathability while providing compression. I created a quick pattern using rough head dimensions and laser cut the pattern pieces before constructing them into an initial prototype. Construction methods included heat bonding with hotmelt and stitching with an industrial machine. This was my first time using both pieces of equipment, and I was happy with the resulting quality considering the quick time frame.

The prototype functioned even better than expected. The pocket had dimensions designed for stretch and fit the display mock-up well. The full prototype wrapped around the head to help evenly distribute the weight. It didn’t create quite as much compression as desired, but it was a great proof of concept to learn from and iterate on.

WRAP - ITERATION 2

The second HMD iteration took the form of a modified swim cap. Instead of a simple cylindrical shape, the form was customized to fit an average-sized head with the display mounted on the face. Pattern pieces were split with a priority of keeping assembly as simple as possible.

To improve fit, a heavier stretch knit was chosen to increase compression. Elastic Velcro straps were also added to each side of the display to give users added levels of compression adjustment. I also added Velcro to the display as a modular attachment strategy. Interestingly, this would make washing/cleaning the product much easier than current options in the market.

This prototype felt like a huge improvement on both the first iteration and existing HMDs. The heavier stretch knit was strong enough to evenly distribute weight around the entire head while also providing a smooth and cooling handfeel that made the entire unit almost unnoticeable. Even further, the design actually created a physically enjoyable experience.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

With such exciting results from my quick design sprint, I started imagining next steps that could flesh out the design even further. One of the main areas of development would be potentially decentralizing the hardware so that some of the weight could be offloaded from the front of the head. Some recently commercialized products are moving in this direction with components like power and adjustment at the back of the head. If this was incorporated with the Wrap design, components at the back of the head could act like a back plate for alignment similar to some helmet designs.

Another area of exploration could be providing multiple variations of the design depending on desired openness. For example, one style might be this enclosed strategy, while another style might include slits or an opening at the top. An opening would allow use of the product in multiple states—wrapped around the head with the display on the face for active use, wrapped around the head with the display on the forehead for resting, and pulled down around the shoulders for inactivity.

A final compelling avenue for development would be leveraging the display to create an immersive HMD for the user’s social environment in addition to the user him/herself. One of the main drawbacks of using HMD devices is the immediate disconnection from users. However, the soft and organic form of the Wrap design could be complemented by a hidden dead-front display that shows expressions through the textile, making the experience more immersive for both the user and others around them.

Key learnings

• Identify assumptions and establish project scope—this design sprint was open-ended, so formalizing my own project guidelines was important in creating clear metrics for evaluation and setting myself up for success.

• Try user research and testing when feeling stuck—my initial phase of concept development felt stagnant until I went out into the world and physically tried out devices and talked to users with deep experiential knowledge.

• Pay special attention to materials with stretch—in my second iteration prototype, I created the pattern with rigid masking tape and forgot to adjust the pattern to stretch, which was the concept’s key functionality. I could have avoided last-minute prototype changes by designing the pattern with high tension/strain regions in mind.