Overview

This project explored the intersection of personal safety, connected devices, and AI-driven context awareness. It was commissioned by a US startup seeking to build a wearable hardware product capable of real-time localization, event recording, and direct human signaling.

The goal was to design both the physical product (form factor, LED feedback, single-button logic) and the digital environment supporting it — an intelligent dashboard and data system capable of blending location, audio, and video histories into one coherent experience.

I was responsible for the industrial design, interaction model, and product ecosystem UX/UI, guiding the process end-to-end from concept to prototype. The work combined hardware ergonomics, AI-assisted interaction design, and ethical safeguards for location-based functionality.

This wasn’t a speculative exercise; the startup aimed for production and investor validation. The product was intended for launch in the US, designed to meet two-party consent recording laws and privacy standards.

Context & Design Objectives

The concept revolved around a small wearable device that could attach magnetically to clothing or bags. One button controlled all interactions: recording, pausing, pinging, or powering down.

The challenge was to make it technically robust yet emotionally intuitive. Unlike typical IoT trackers, this wasn’t a passive sensor — it was an active safety node, a bridge between personal privacy and immediate communication.

Design goals:

  1. Human-centered ergonomics. Ensure comfort and ease of use for diverse users — elderly, young adults, and children.
  2. Minimal interaction footprint. One button and one LED system to communicate all device states.
  3. Multi-context UX. Build software that integrates recording, localization, and AI-powered context recognition into one unified timeline.
  4. Ethical compliance by design. Automatically disable recording in no-recording jurisdictions and communicate this clearly to the user.
  5. Scalable architecture. Enable multiple devices per account and subscription, including access sharing and parental visibility.

Research & User Validation

Before designing hardware or software, I conducted a two-phase qualitative research study with 20 participants from mixed demographics — including seniors (60+), parents, young professionals, and teens.

The objective was to evaluate form factors, intuitiveness, and perception of safety devices.

Key insights emerged: