Responding to an Emerging Problem
APPLE SHUFFLE
“A tactile-first music player.”
Designed to be understood without looking.
BROKEN UX
Have you ever tried to change a song on a smart watch while running? Hard
What about on a treadmill? Outright Perilous
Modern devices do everything—and that’s the problem.
Music has become passive. Background. Disposable.
This project explores a return to intention through a single-purpose device—
one that can be understood entirely through touch.
1) FOCUSED PRODUCT
“One device. One job. Done well.”
2) TACTILE-FIRST
“Recognizable by touch alone.”
“Designed to be used without looking.”
"WHAT DEFINES SUCCESS FOR THIS PROJECT?"
“What defines success for this project”
3) RESTORES INTENTION
“Returns music to an active experience.”
“Interaction becomes deliberate, not passive.”
INSPIRATION
A press used to mean something.
Buttons had weight, resistance, and a clear result.
Interaction was physical—understood through touch, not sight.
As interfaces moved to glass, that feedback disappeared.
This project brings that clarity back.
DESIGNED FOR TOUCH, NOT SIGHT
Can I confidently adjust volume while running, without looking, within 1 second?
Every control is designed to be identified without looking.
The play button acts as a home—fully recessed, grounding the interaction.
Skip and rewind introduce directional slope, allowing your finger to read movement through form alone.
Volume is defined by contrast: one rises, one falls.
Together, the system creates a tactile map—
where interaction becomes muscle memory instead of visual attention.
SYMBOLS ARE THE LANGUAGE OF SIGHT
REDUCING TO THE LANGUAGE OF TOUCH
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE LESS. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE LESS. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE LESS.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE LESS. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE LESS. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE LESS.
PURE SIGNALS
FINAL DIRECTIONS
RAMP DOWN
VALLEY
RAMPUP
A COHESIVE SYSTEM
WITH INDIVIDUAL IMPULSES
INDIVIDUAL SIGNALS
WITH SEPARATION BETWEEN
"That's how you do better"
The Bear: Season 3
I opted for this direction with the benefit that your fingers find a natural resting place that can easily glide between the different controls, with a ridge to give feedback when transitioning between
RAMPUP
VALLEY
RAMP DOWN
A DIRECTIONAL LANGUAGE
NOT JUST BUTTONS
FINAL DIRECTION
HOVER OVER YOUR FAVORITE COLOR
VISUALIZATION
RECOGNIZABLE BY TOUCH ALONE
INTERCHANGABLE ATTACHMENTS
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