Mixed Reality X

The new standard combines classic form with a fresh computing metaphor for a more functional view of the metaverse.

Mixed Reality X by argodesign sets the standard for what a popular XR headset should look like to engender a more heads-up, present, and captivating digital lifestyle.

Through ergonomics, industrial design, and new organizing principles, argo’s design amplifies our physical environment, frees us from the restraints of immersive computing, and delivers on the technology’s full potential.

A new metaphor for a new pattern in computing

Mass adoption of any new form of computing requires a new metaphor. Windows used files, folders, and a literal desktop to teach directory-based computing to office workers. Decades later, the iOS app and homescreen ushered in the era of hand-held mobile computing for consumers and businesses alike.

The new metaphor will be landscape, layers, prisms, and objects, bringing the power of wearable mobile computing out into the open.

Now a presentation on your desk will have both a literal and figurative meaning as we access and control multiple running apps through digital layers in any room or location.

The right balance of familiarity and novelty

Humans have worn eyeglasses for hundreds of years. The thin and lightweight form of traditional eyewear gives us a strong point of reference to what users will comfortably accept to move this computing into the mainstream.

The frames glow to alert others when you are accessing this other layer of reality—to avoid social confusion—and include a controller that attaches to the arm bar for easy retrieval and storage.

Consumer adoption will drive wearable mobile computing

The other obstacle to mainstream adoption is utility. Similar to how a smartwatch delivers key moments to your wrist so your phone can stay in your pocket, this new viewport encourages heads-up computing with expansive capabilities.

Every headset on the market today creates an immersive experience that alienates users from people and places around them. Mixed Reality X focuses attention on the physical world—a world that can participate in computing with objects that speak back to us.

It’s also an opportunity to introduce the concept of placefulness, which aligns the metaphor and interface of computing with humanity by viewing digital information in context next to physical objects.

For example, placing the cleaning status of a hotel room next to its respected door to reduce the friction of multiple screens and clicks before knowing if a room is clean. Or digitally controlled valves and sensors next to fermenters and tanks in a brewery so workers can focus on the work at hand for a safer and more efficient work environment.