Compact Digital Camera
How Can We Make
Cameras Approachable?
1 Week | 40 Hours | 2025
Skills | CAD, User Experience, Prototyping, Ergonomics
Software | Solidworks, Keyshot, Adobe Suite
Common Issues with Modern Cameras
The prevalence of smartphone cameras and their overwhelming simplicity makes professional cameras seem even more complicted and difficult to use.
Smartphones Competition
Smartphone adoption overshadowed the market
Convenience beat quality, and advances in computational photography allow phones to produce image quality that now surpasses most compact cameras
Photo + Video
The Hybrid Problem
Most cameras on the market currently have to compete in both photography as well as videography, contributing to menu bloat and features not all users particularly care about.
Bulky
Optical Zoom require bulky extending lenses
Optical zoom required extending lenses, making cameras less compact
- true pocketability was lost.
Frustrating
and Confusing
Take a good look at this camera, how do you feel?
Modern compact mirrorless cameras prioritize machine capability over human approachability.
Burdened by layered menus and excessive controls, they function as computers with lenses, forcing the user to adapt to the system’s logic rather than supporting a natural workflow.
Caught In
the Middle
So you have two choices, either stick to your phone, or invest an arm and a leg for a piece of hardware you have to work around.
Here’s an opportunity to address an unmet need in the market. Growing digital fatigue paves way for a camera designed for casual users/beginners who want to ditch their phone for a user friendly entry into photography.
How Might We...
Simplify
Streamline the user flow to rival smartphones
Energize
Bring a unique flair and joyful experience to the camera’s DNA
Integrate
Easy to adopt to various lifestyles
Focusing on Tactile Interaction
The first round of ideation was a combination of digital sketching and Vizcom, exploring the concept of using exaggerated analogue interaction points as the primary gesture.
Historical Form Validation
A stroll through a local flea market lead to a discovery of pocket vintage film cameras.
Their blend of tactile, analog interfaces and an exceptionally compact size offered a user experience that was simultaneously novel and intuitive, perfectly realizing the project's core design goals.
Circular trends huh? How do we bring this into the present?
Exploring the Architecture
Another round of rapid ideation, this time focusing on sketching with pen and paper and exploring various ways to simplify the user flow while introducing an engaging experience.
Ergonomic Bulks
Alongside the sketch ideation, I explored rough ergonomics through various foam blocks, cut and shaped in a variety of ways.
This helped focus ideation of silhouettes and gestures with practical comfort and usability.
Final Form Ideation
Continued physical prototyping, this time in higher fidelity, incorporating the insights from the ergonomics testing with the ideas with most potential from the sketch ideation round.
Looks like we got a winner.
A New Way
to Capture
Full manual control, precise dials, and a tactile interface—built for a hands-on shooting experience anywhere, anytime.
No More
Fussy Screens
Easily adjust key settings such as iso, shutter speed, and aperture with clear intuitive dials that are always immediately accessible.
Pathfinder operates like every other camera, just without the extra bulk.
Press down halfway to autofocus, all the way down to capture an image.
Parts Included
By positioning the lens to be lengthwise, we’re able to fit a full 70-200 focal range.
The front features a built in LED flash, a LIDAR sensor for autofocus and a light sensor for auto flash.
Visualize Automatic
Watch the dials spin in Auto mode, giving instant feedback and showing settings to help new photographers learn as they shoot.
Easy Access
Media
Easily transfer, organize, and share photos
and videos through the desktop and mobile app—create albums and share with friends!
The LED flash indicates charging status (green) and data transfer (blue).
Upgradable Storage
Pathfinder includes an SD card, micro SD card slot and a USB type C port for versatile connectivity for both pro and everyday use.
Type C charging dock allows for fast charging and fast data transfer.
Quick Charge Dock
Clever spacing provides enough clearance for fingers to plug in cables comfortably, keeping everyday use fluid and fast
Designed to
be Freeing
Pathfinder connects to a user’s phone to browse through the gallery, making the ability to export and share photos more streamlined.
Navigating lesser used settings and a larger library of photos is much easier on a larger screen. Pathfinder allows users to stay in the moment by letting them go through their photos at their own leisure later.
