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PRODUCT BRIEF
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FOREWORD
I was given a chance to contribute to new generation of Leica rangefinder, a model that would combine a time-proven physical design with up-to-date demands of the market.
The challenge became apparent immediately: modern smartphone connectivity and an abundance of user-facing information could conflict with a minimalistic two-button interaction pattern and technical limitations of the display.
USER INTERFACE
The goal was to evolve the product without compromising what already worked. To retain rangefinder's compact, reliable form we needed to find a clever way to prioritise the information based on common use-case scenarios while leaving the room for personalization.
UX METHODOLOGY
Project timeline being limited as it was, I made field research, stakeholder interviews, and canvassed hunting experts to find the best approach to structuring information, designing and placing reticle, and customizing UI.
INFORMATION STRUCTURE
Data is split across a primary and secondary screen tier based on how often it's needed mid-shot versus pre-shot. The main HUD surfaces only what's actionable in the moment — distance, target mode, operating mode, etc.
RETICLE PLACEMENT
Positioned at the top of the HUD, aligned with the scope's optical center — keeping the sightline uninterrupted while distance data reads just below.
INTERACTION EXPERIENCE
PRESS, HOLD, REPEAT
With just two buttons, the interaction pattern had to stay simple. I defined a clear language: short presses for primary actions, long presses for secondary ones.
This interaction vocabulary was enough to create a consistent pattern across various use cases: quick access, menu navigation, Bluetooth pairing, etc.
FINAL STAGES
SECOND THOUGHTS ARE BEST
INITIAL CONCEPT
The initial concept assigned one button to confirm and navigate back, while the second cycled through items within the current view. Early testing quickly showed this model didn’t align with user expectations.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Participants preferred directional navigation mapped to the physical orientation of the buttons—scrolling up and down—with more disruptive actions, such as going back, assigned to a long press.
FINAL TOUCH
We still had time to implement our findings, so by the end of project timeline we had a solid interaction design proposal for the actual device.