A lot to unpack with the product / ecosystem / UX – but what are your hot takes on the design?
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Looks extremely well executed of course. I’ve got a Meta headset for Gravity
sketch, and the second biggest issue I have with it is the weight, so I hope this is lighter. My first biggest issue is I just don’t really want to wear a headset 
The little orange hits are surprising. They seem a bit more trendy than Apple usually goes for (at least ever since the snow iMac launched in the 2000s). I love it, it does feel like a color pop you would see in a design concept.
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Apple arrives later than most to a product category, then executes it well. Often, this move of theirs disrupts the market. And not just for the category itself - see iPod, an impact beyond just mp3 players
However, this particular decision makes me wonder if
a) they truly see this category as a big enough opportunity space - then again 3500$+ tax is profitable enough even if its just a niche within the world’s top 5% of the population
b) they just needed a new piece of hardware in their larger product development cyclical pattern and not just another iteration or extension and this was already in the path to market works before the metaverse crashed and burnt into oblivion by the AI stuff
design language is half Apollo 13 half deep sea with Jacques Cousteau ;p sorry but not sorry ;p
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I want to live in that world… I think it might be called Marc Newson-ville…
Print source: Astronaut in Eames Style Chair on Mars Digital Art Print for - Etsy
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How cool would it have been if Apple was able to pull off something super thin… I guess we will have to wait for the Vision Air
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Shots fired from FastCo design:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90905495/apple-no-longer-design-led-company
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This is an ID student project. By that kid with rich parents who paid for the supplies so the model is awesome.
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This design is 1000% Marc Newson. The references to space/aviation, the use of fabrics, the rounded corners on everything, and the signature 021C accents are straight up Marc Newson. Good to see he still has influence in Cupertino!
I love the design. Feels super high quality, solid but comfortable, the highest tech packaged in a clean and neat way. Look forward to seeing some of these design cues in future AirPod Max designs!
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Apple was late to smartphones, and even still, it completely redefined the category. The iPhone launched three generations ahead of its competitors who would take years to catch up. I simply don’t see this same lead with Vision Pro, and I think that comes down to Apple’s lack of design leadership.
(from the Fast Company link which focuses primarily on hardware and tangible design as a reflection of loss of design leadership)
Question: Is design leadership simply a matter of competitive product design or also a matter of deciding the direction of product development for ex. “in this world today, is this the right product to be focusing on?”
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Some more thoughts on design… ecosystem and lack of functional purpose aside…
The design is nice, and very Apple but expected (white, rounded, excellent materiality, etc.). If you ran an AI prompt for “Apple VR googles” it would be probably 90% the same.
The design is however un-Apple in the sense it seems compromised. Tethered battery pack. Still bulky google form factor. Looks like a pair of snowboard goggles.
I’m sure the experience through the googles may be impressive, but I’m lacing the “magic” in the product itself. Technology at its best in design has a feeling of the “magic” or “future”. I remember when I first saw the iPod nano and it was just incredible how thin and light it was. The swipe and pinch to zoom interaction with the touch screen first iPhone and the solidity and heft of the metal casing was something from space c compared to other plastic phones in 2007. The iPad seemed like a StarTrek device.
This looks like a better version of a Occulus or other VR googles. The weird see through to eyes trick is kinda neat, but could be creepy. Curved glass is nice, but looks like ski googles.
Maybe it’s inside what counts, but it’s hard to get people in when it’s not compelling outside. For sure trials in Apple store will drive a lot of uptake. But I’d imagine more people buy online than in shop so…
I would have loved to see some ID magic on the outside. A super think and flat display like the shield glasses Yo posted. An totally wireless experience like the AirPods. An impossible strap design that made it look like the glasses floated effortlessly on your face. Some “wow!” factor.
@Niti_Bhan I think has it right from a strategic design perspective. Making this just because they can, doesn’t mean they should.
I get “experience” is everything. But physical interaction is still part of that.
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someone on social made a great observation-
Nobody in the Apple keynote was wearing it.
How iconic was the Steve Jobs iPhone intro when he held it in his hands like a new baby?
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and this. but not only this. as we conclude
the memes on twitter are possibly the worst case scenario for an Apple product launch
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