WHOOP is a performance optimization system that is revolutionizing the way elite athletes, coaches, and trainers use physiological data to make decisions. Aruliden worked with Will Ahmed and the WHOOP team, including advisors Nicholas Negroponte and Antonio Bertone, to develop a holistic product offering.
While there are many products on the market that help athletes track activity, game day preparation remains mainly guesswork. The WHOOP system takes the guesswork out of training - it doesn't just inform, it changes user behavior and improves performance through a deep understanding of the athlete's body and daily life. WHOOP is always on, providing a consistent picture of strain and recovery to help balance training plans, prevent injury, and improve team performance.
WHOOP uses complex metrics including heart rate, skin conductivity, ambient temperature, accelerometry, and motion to analyze the body throughout the day. The WHOOP system includes a sleek wrist-worn strap that continuously measures, analyzes and reports the factors that most effect health - intensity, recovery, and sleep performance. This data is translated into actionable insights that help users grow and improve.
"When you have precise data, you can use it to accurately predict future performance," said Johan Liden, co-founder of Aruliden. "The challenge is that getting this kind of data means tracking for 24 hours a day - workouts, rest days, sleep, and everything in between. How do you design a product that a user wears on their body at all times?" Starting from the ground up, Aruliden considered every aspect of the product experience to ensure that WHOOP became a device that athletes would be able to continuously wear.
In order to make the strap as comfortable and versatile as possible, Aruliden ensured all the components fit into the head of the device. This allows the user to swap out the strap, while keeping all the hardware in one waterproof unit. The strap itself merges performance with style and comfort. It is incredibly lightweight and includes three layers of fabric and polyurethane. A tri-fold, die cast aluminum clasp locks the band in place, allowing for easy removal when needed while ensuring comfort. As the device's success is based on the user wearing it continuously, the studio designed a slide on battery pack, enabling on the go charging without users having to remove the device.
To accompany the hardware, the data collected by WHOOP is streamed via Bluetooth to a sophisticated analytics platform. WHOOP presents data in a clear, easy-to-understand way to help athletes, coaches, and trainers make training and game day decisions. Strain, Recovery, and Sleep Performance Scores are presented via mobile app or desktop dashboard that features a simple user interface designed by Martin Oberhäeuser.
As the product is for an active, on to go user, Aruliden created the red WHOOP puck to serve as a carrying case. The battery pack and cables come nestled in the puck, while the bracelet floats above it on a clear stand. Everything is then capped with a cylindrical paper lid for a unique unboxing experience.