sportflex, poetry of motion
team whoop.inc I role industrial design lead
Process photos of prototypes and ID for FlexSport project at Whoop HQ & Ke'Don's Design Studio, Boston MA
Sportflex was created as an exploration of functional form, where every curve and contour serves both purpose and expression. Its form language is quiet yet deliberate, sculpted to follow the body and move as naturally as the person wearing it. Designed to feel effortless, it reflects a philosophy where performance and comfort exist in perfect harmony.
When we began working on Sportflex, we wanted to create something that felt natural to wear. We were not trying to build another sports band. We wanted to explore what freedom could feel like on the wrist. So much of performance design is about control and precision, yet true performance often comes from the absence of resistance. We wanted to design an object that supported that idea.
We started by observing the small details of human movement. The way the wrist bends when you lift something. The way skin folds when it meets pressure. The way light moves across the body during motion. These observations guided our earliest sketches. Each drawing tried to capture not what a band looks like, but how it should behave.
The first prototypes were simple. Continuous loops of material, soft and unbroken. We were searching for a form that would almost disappear in use. Something that could become part of the body rather than something worn upon it. Every iteration brought us closer to this quiet balance between security and comfort.
Sportflex was never meant to look technical. It was meant to feel effortless. When we held the first model that truly captured that idea, it did not feel new. It felt inevitable. That moment told us we were building something honest, something that belonged.
TOUCH EMITTING PATCHES — The ritual of active greeting is declining in our increasingly digital communication. A physical greeting, a hug, and a handshake help create intimate connections through the production of the oxytocin hormone, which is instrumental to social bonding.
The touch patches can be adhered to various places on the skin and worn under clothing. The liquid heat fluid flowing through the patch emits the feeling of touch or greeting from a distance.
MATERIALS AS EMOTION
The material was always at the heart of the project. We believed that the experience of touch would define the success of the design. A material is not only about strength or elasticity. It is about the message it carries when it meets the skin.We began with more than forty different elastomer samples. Each one had a different texture, stretch, and memory. We tested them under light, under heat, and through motion. We were searching for one that could move with the body and still return to its original shape. It had to be soft, but not fragile. Durable, but never rigid.
The compound that finally worked was the result of months of refinement. It flexes like muscle and breathes under pressure. It recovers instantly and feels consistent across countless wears. The surface is neither glossy nor matte. It has a gentle satin quality that reflects light softly and feels organic to the touch.When you touch it, you understand it immediately. It feels alive, as if it was designed to exist on skin. The texture is calming, precise, and reassuring. It represents the emotional connection we wanted between the product and the person wearing it.
THE ARCHITECTURE OF MOVEMENT
Form and structure were developed together. The idea was to create a continuous band that functions as one seamless gesture. We wanted to remove everything that distracted from movement. No buckles, no visible mechanisms, no interruptions.The design evolved through more than seventy prototypes. Each one taught us something new about flexibility, tension, and proportion. We refined the curvature to follow the wrist, allowing it to hold shape while remaining dynamic. The band needed to move with the body but also rest quietly when still.Light became part of the design language. The soft reflections along the curved surface give the band depth and presence. The transitions are subtle, never abrupt. Every contour was considered to maintain flow. The result feels sculpted rather than manufactured.When it is placed on the wrist, it does not feel like a device. It feels like a continuation of form. That quality was intentional. We wanted Sportflex to feel human, not engineered.
HUMAN-CENTERED TESTING
The process of testing Sportflex was as much about empathy as it was about engineering. We worked with athletes, runners, and everyday users to understand how the band interacts with skin during real movement. We looked closely at heat, moisture, and pressure distribution.We learned that comfort is not a constant. It changes as the body changes. A band that feels perfect in the morning might feel tight after a workout. To solve this, we developed an internal structure that adapts naturally. Inside the band, a series of subtle ribs help distribute pressure evenly. They also lift the material slightly off the skin, improving airflow without adding bulk.This invisible detail became one of the most important aspects of Sportflex. It allows the band to maintain stability while reducing points of tension. You cannot see it, but you can feel it in use. It is a quiet innovation that defines the experience.Comfort should never demand attention. When design is done right, it becomes invisible.
SYSTEM INTERGRATION
Sportflex was created to work as part of a larger ecosystem. It connects effortlessly with the device, forming a single visual and structural unit. The goal was to design a connection that feels like growth, not attachment.The mechanical interface was engineered with precision, but its appearance remains calm and neutral. The transition between the band and the hardware feels organic. The flare near the connection point invites light to blend across both surfaces, unifying the forms.This integration required close collaboration between industrial design, mechanical engineering, and materials teams. Every tolerance and angle was refined until the connection became seamless. The result is a system that feels complete. Sportflex does not decorate technology. It completes it.
THE LANGUAGE OF COLOR
Color was treated as part of the design language, not as decoration. It communicates mood, purpose, and identity. We wanted the palette to feel human and timeless, to sit naturally against any skin tone.We studied tones from the natural world: clay, sand, stone, and graphite. Each color expresses calm confidence rather than loud intensity. The collection feels grounded, subtle, and enduring.The surface finish enhances this quiet harmony. It absorbs light gently and changes character depending on the environment. Every shade was tuned to feel honest, not artificial.The result is a palette that evokes balance and restraint. It invites you to choose based on feeling, not on fashion.
PRESCION IN PRODUCTION
Turning Sportflex from a concept into a production product required extraordinary precision. The molds were engineered to maintain a tolerance of less than half a tenth of a millimeter. Every cavity was polished by hand to preserve surface consistency.The manufacturing process combines compression molding with dual-material bonding. It allows the internal structure and outer surface to form as one piece. Each band is inspected individually for flexibility, finish, and accuracy.The production approach reflects the same values as the design itself. Every detail is intentional. Nothing is rushed. The result is consistency without compromise.
THE EXPERIENCE
When you hold Sportflex for the first time, it feels calm. It has weight, but not heaviness. It has strength, but not stiffness. There is no mechanism to fasten. You stretch it gently, slide it on, and it settles in place.The feeling is not one of technology. It is one of quiet confidence. The band becomes an extension of you. It moves when you move and rests when you rest.That simplicity was the ultimate goal. A design that disappears in use. A product that supports performance without demanding attention. When something feels this natural, it no longer feels designed. It simply feels right.