Lumen
Building the world's first AR flashlight for shared exploration
2019–2023
With Arvind Sanjeev, Matt Visco, Can Yandarag
Role: Experience design and prototyping, research, brand & website design, product strategy
The Challenge
The metaverse is not built for group experiences. We created an iPhone-powered handheld AR device allowing users to augment physical surroundings by projecting AR onto objects and surfaces. Our vision emphasizes a metaverse that is physical first, social by default, and not constrained to screen-based experiences.
Human experience at the core
Development utilized people-centered design and research, including stakeholder interviews and storytelling sessions to formulate the design challenge. We focused on understanding how people naturally explore and interact with their physical environment.
Learning by doing
Multiple experience prototyping sessions with different participants employed sacrificial prototypes to gather insights informing functional prototype development. Each iteration helped us understand what worked and what didn't in real-world exploration scenarios.
Adapting as technology evolves
Technical exploration progressed through several prototyping rounds, testing technologies including neural network powered object classification and V-SLAM systems, aiming to create a mixed reality device that encourages people to explore environments freely.
Where we landed
Incorporated in 2021, Lumen sold units to organizations including Snap, Meow Wolf, Stanford, Harvard, and creative agencies globally. Notable investors include Alex Chung, Aaron Koblin, and David Rose. The platform demonstrated that AR experiences could be social, physical-first, and encourage real-world exploration rather than isolating users behind screens.
