The Conversation names the HoloLens one of the 5 Best-Designed Products Ever

The HoloLens has an iconic futuristic design which sets it apparent from the more common front-heavy virtual reality headsets which reminds one more of scuba gear that the user interface of the future.

Now the The Conversation has named it one of the 5 of the Best-Designed Products Ever, joining design classics such as the paperclip and the widely replicated airport waiting lounge chairs, which are actually designed by  Charles and Ray Eames of the Eames Lounge Chair fame, and which happen to be modular, durable, stylish and cheap and comfortable.

About the HoloLens they write:

The HoloLens allows users to interact with a 3D digital world and simultaneously see what’s around them in the real world. In order to operate the interface, users can make hand gestures, talk or simply gaze.
The product was designed with ergonomics in mind: Users can adjust the head size, the head band and glasses. The weight – distributed throughout the crown area – prevents pressure on the nose and ears. Users can even wear their own glasses or wear their hair up in a pony tail. This is a key difference from most VR headsets – like the HTC Vive – which are heavy, cumbersome products.

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For example, the company ThyssenKrupp, which manufactures elevators and escalators, has begun giving HoloLenses to its elevator technicians, with the idea that the glasses will allow them to access data much more efficiently. The employees can multitask, choosing either to lift up the spherical visor or to keep it in front of their eyes as needed – all while working in a cramped elevator shaft.

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If the price goes down, the market for this product – currently in the thousands – could easily multiply into millions.

While it is unlikely the current design of the HoloLens will reach the mass market, it is good to know the hard work of the designers who created it have been recognized, even while Microsoft is quietly working on its successor.

Read the full piece at the Scientific American here.