In 2015 I lead a project at Misfit Wearables designing what would be Misfit’s first audio product. The state-of-the-art for bluetooth headphones wasn’t quite what it is today but our concept was packed with features that put it ahead of its time.
The product was produced in partnership with Shenzhen-based 1MORE, who make their own headphones with great attention to design and terrific sound quality. Working with the team there and visiting their manufacturers was an awesome experience.
Product Goals
Sporty
User shouldn’t be afraid to take Specter running.
Specter should be water resistant but not look like sport headphones.
Fashionable
Specter should be suitable to all genders.
Specter’s design should be timeless, but responsive to the latest trends.
Audiophile
User should inherently trust Specter’s sound quality at first glance.
Product Functions
Our aim was to enable additional future functionality by including such hardware: Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Binaural Microphones, Gyroscope.
Firmware v1:
Normal Headphones
Firmware v2:
Responsive Noise Reduction
Firmware v3:
Head Tracking
Firmware v4:
Cellphone-Integrated GPS
The team generated a ton of concepts early on through cycles of CAD and rendering. The selection below just scratches the surface.
We experimented with different ways of securing the earbuds in place through the form of the buds themselves and discrete ear-interfacing features. The team was particularly drawn to concepts that played with the interface between the earbud and the cord.
We knew the clip-on battery and control unit would have to be as thin as the internals would allow. We considered whether to allow the headphones to be used as normal headphones (like on a an airplane) through an extension audio cord. A lot of attention was paid to how that audio jack could be integrated into the ID.
Eventually the capsule-shaped form of the final design began to emerge. We considered different hardware interactions for volume and playback controls. Standard three-button array or one button and a momentary slider?
We drew inspiration for the form and materials for Specter from hardware associated with formal dress, like tie clips. The in-ear rendering shows the unique way the capsule design sat in the ear. No rigid protruding parts.
Though the mid-stage concepts were all designed around ergonomic models of the human ear, that CAD meant nothing if it wasn’t iterated on through successive rounds of 3D printing and testing with users.
Especially as we discussed with 1MORE how the market in Asia might differ from the U.S., we realized that perhaps our concept was a bit too minimal. Many users wanted something they could put on display. Taking cues from broaches and other fashion hardware, we updated an earlier ring-shaped clip concept with more technical styling, and arrived at our final design.
Shortly after Specter was unveiled at CES 2016, Misfit was purchased by Fossil Group. Unfortunately, cutting-edge audio products were not on their menu and the design was handed over to 1MORE to produce as they saw fit. In the end, many of the innovative features were dropped (bluetooth included) but thankfully the main feature of the design, the innovative capsule-shaped earpieces - which became the product’s namesake - remained. Wireless or not, they still sound amazing!
