A new LightVision meditation headset, designed by LAYER design studio, was launched by the US startup Resonate at Design Miami 2021. As a wellness product of the new normal, the headset immerses the users into a powerful meditative state amidst the recent stresses faced throughout the world.
Meditation is proven to offer immense physiological and psychological benefits in the hectic world. Many apps, workshops, and music playlists that enable a calm state of mind have become increasingly popular today. “In this world, mindfulness and meditation are more relevant than ever before. Finding the time to practice or to obtain the knowledge and experience needed to practice efficiently, however, is no easy task. Resonate LightVision allows you to quickly reach a deep meditative state effortlessly”, says Benjamin Hubert, the founder of LAYER. He also describes the product as a way to make meditation more accessible.
The LightVision headset designed by Hubert and his team uses cutting-edge neural entrainment to aid the meditative experience with proven benefits of vibration, sound, and light. The headset has an LED matrix that converts nature-world videos (fish swimming underwater or trees swaying in the wind) into dynamic biomorphic patterns. These patterns are visible even through closed eyes and trigger the brain’s frequency following response, according to the ‘LAYER’ design studio. On a 20-minute session, the light imagery emitted by the headset starts at a quicker pace and gradually slows down in sync with the circadian rhythm of the users. Further, the rippling patterns of light combined with a soundtrack of monaural/binaural beats and isochronic tones will leave the users in a trance state in no time.
According to the studies conducted by Resonate, daily meditation of 15 minutes is as effective as medication for depression. Also, the users report a 51% decrease in stress and anxiety levels after a session in Resonate headset.
Mindful of the heavy nature of parallel technologies such as VR headsets, LAYER aims at a more lightweight and softer design akin to a sleeping mask. This alternative design of the product has enhanced the experience and made it more tactile. The external casing wrapped with soft textile is paired with an adjustable strap so that it can closely follow the contours of the face. It makes the headset comfortably sit around the face and eyes and provides a distraction-free restful state of mind. This minimal yet grand-looking design evokes the language of a fashion product and realizes Hubert’s aspiration of making tech accessories closer to a piece of fashion.
The interior of the casing houses the futuristic LED matrix display. The brightness of the LED and the volume of the soundtrack is controlled via an intuitive, ergonomically accessible interface on the underside of the casing. This interface strip also consists of a power button and USB-C charging port. The design also expresses the functionality of the product. The light strips that frame the internal edges cast light on the face creating an expression of the meditative experience, and acting as a do not disturb signal to others.
All in all, the product is a synthesis of sixties spiritualism and the 21st-century technocracy, ie., a futuristic tech product for traditional meditation. The headset makes it easier to immerse into a powerful meditation- a product that can be used to counter the stressful and hectic pace of daily life.
Product Information
Product name: Lightvision headset
Year: 2021
Designer: LAYER Design Studio
Client: Resonate
Resonate launched the Lightvision Headset at Design Miami 2021, which took place between December 1 to December 6. Invite only collection was available at the fair and the sales units will be available from 2022.
About LAYER
LAYER is an experience design studio based in London. It is a close-knit community of digital and industrial designers, engineers, artists, experience experts, researchers, and branding specialists from around the world. Benjamin Hubert, an award-winning British entrepreneur, is the Founder and Creative Director of LAYER. The studio provides a platform for a collaborative design process that transforms human-centered insights into evocative design stories that resonate with people and their lifestyles.
Know more about LAYER at: layerdesign.com
About Resonate
Resonate is a US-based start-up that uses the science of neural entrainment to transform meditation from hard to easy, and helps access deeper levels of consciousness effortlessly in our home, on our terms, and on-demand. It delivers beautifully designed furniture and accessories for meditation. Resonate teamed up with Alexander Diaz Anderson to design a meditation chair, and LAYER studio designed the LightVision headset for the company.
Know more about Resonate and its products at: weresonate.com
