PowerSurface

PowerSurface was a reference design for a wireless battery charger developed at Power Science Incorporated, a Silicon Valley startup. It was 2007 and we had some of the earliest technology for inductive coupling for mobile devices.

I developed the UX and firmware for the user feedback system, which comprised an RGB LED lightpipe. I also assisted with industrial design. The shape of the pad was designed so that you could charge a phone on the large part and either an earpiece or an extra battery on the smaller part. The flourish was made of electrodes, and our idea was that the electrode design could be customized for OEMs or end users.

When we decided to re-brand, I helped create a new visual design language.

Ultimately, our solution didn’t win out against the emerging wireless power standards. However, the experience taught me a lot about design for manufacture, firmware, and advocating for good design to internal executives.