Halo Sport 2 2018-2019

Designers: Nonfiction, San Francisco, California, USA
Manufacturer: Halo Neuroscience, San Francisco, California, USA

Everyone wants their brain and body to work better, together. Halo Sport 2 stimulates the brain to improve muscle memory so that anyone can learn movement faster - whether lifting weights, working on your golf swing, or playing the piano. The headset packs science-based, medical-grade technology into great-sounding Bluetooth headphones. Why headphones? The part of your brain that controls movement is directly underneath the headband, so placement is familiar, and it’s easy to use without changing how you train. Halo Sport 2 – advancing human potential.

The goal with Halo Sport 2 was to design a mass-market brain stimulator to advance human potential in athletes, musicians, and everyday users. The solution must synthesize the latest laboratory tech into an elegant, approachable, consumer-friendly product, seamlessly integrating into the user’s lifestyle while remaining attractive, affordable, durable, and functional.

Scientific neurostimulation is normally practiced in laboratories with wires, sponges, and measuring tapes. Halo’s goal was to create a portable, consumer-level neurostimulator that lives outside of the laboratory and advances human potential for everyone. Halo Sport 2’s removable primers allow users to comfortably train with stimulation or without, like traditional headphones.

User studies identified an overlap between headphones, often worn in musical and athletic training, and the relevant brain targets - the motor cortex. By pushing the limits of design and engineering, Halo Sport 2 was able to refine this precision technology into a lightweight, wearable design that aligned with user values.

In the gym, in the recording studio, or on the street, headphones are part of the modern human experience. Users grab their headphones, block out life’s external noise, and find their flow state. Sport 2’s assertive yet approachable design evokes peak performance and provides a visceral connection to the user.

Peak human performance should be accessible to all. Halo has created a mobile, easy-to-use tool in a familiar form factor that can align with anyone’s training routine and - through extensive testing in diverse populations - accommodates all head shapes, hair types, and skin types.