TENDOR case study
An AR climbing replay that puts a recorded climb back on the same wall
- My role
- Unity AR, body tracking, spatial alignment, interaction design
- Built with
- Unity 3D, ARKit, Immersal, Move AI
- Focus
- Phone AR prototype, indoor climbing, independent product, informal gym tests
The person you recorded is climbing in the gym with you
TENDOR is an AR prototype that records a climb on a phone and plays that body back in the same gym, on the same wall.
You record yourself climbing. Later you stand in front of that wall, hold up the phone, and a character is already there, on the floor, reaching for the holds. The movement is in the room, not on a screen beside you.
I built it on a regular phone because I wanted to see if that could replace the projectors and headsets climbing AR has needed until now. The phone tracks the body while you record, remembers the room, and puts both back together in Unity. The character looks alive. In the gym I kept finding that is not enough. Hands still land near the holds, not on them, and if you want to learn the move, near is not enough.
Out of my comfort zone and into machine learning
Before the gym build, I started with MediaPipe and DeepMotion to track joints and train a model on my own climbs. Those tests got a skeleton moving. Unity is where it had to hold up in a real room: recover the space, retarget the motion, and keep the character on the wall.
Standard UI kits weren’t enough for beta tools
TENDOR needed custom components built around how climbers move and interact. I designed a floating action button to replace the typical menu, created clean icons inspired by climbing shapes, and developed specialized tools for analyzing beta and tracking progress. All built to support a flow that’s unique to this sport.
Custom video player UI for move-by-move climb analysis
One of TENDOR’s key UI components is a custom video player for move-by-move analysis. It uses body tracking to detect sequences from speed and acceleration, then lets users jump to any point by clicking a move number. I also created a motion graph to help calibrate and refine how the algorithm interprets each climb.
Inventing a product language for AR and AI in climbing
For the MVP, I prioritized three core screens: recording climbs, viewing beta in AR, and smoothly scrolling through climb videos. The goal was to make advanced tech feel natural and useful. From user interviews, I realized the biggest risk was that climbers might not fully get the value of TENDOR’s AR features. So I focused on a clear, simple onboarding that explains how and why to use them.
3D data visualizer showing how a route was climbed
An interactive tool that turns route data into a circular, move-by-move visualization. Each climb starts at the top of the sphere, with intensity shown as radial spikes — sharp for explosive moves, tight for controlled ones. White lines represent individual attempts: full lines mean a send, shorter ones show where climbers fell. The 3D view is fully customizable and reveals the flow, style, and crux of any route at a glance.
Creating an immersive 3D story to inspire climbers
While building TENDOR, I knew it needed more than features. It needed a reminder of why climbing matters. Inspired by Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan, I created a 3D experience using Spline and images that takes users through key moments of his 3,000-foot ascent.
Then the visual design, how TENDOR looks when it leaves the phone
The AR build is the core of this work. What follows is the visual system around it: logo, colour, type, and the brand applications that take TENDOR into gyms and onto the wall.
Vision and mission
Vision: we want a future where sports are not limited by the body or location.
Mission: we (em)power athletes with real experiences and new technology to boost their performance.
Designing a logo that climbs with you
The TENDOR logo started as a wordmark, but quickly turned into more of a system. The stylized “N” climbs through the rest of the letters like a route. Every shape around it works like a volume on a gym wall—modular, balanced, and with just a hint of forward motion.
Turquoise to cut through the tones dominating climbing
Turquoise? Yeah, it's bold. But that was the point I picked turquoise because it cuts through the usual black and earth tones you see in climbing. It's fresh, it feels tech-forward, and it quietly connects both nature (green) and innovation (blue). In user testing, climbers said turquoise makes them feel focused, confident, and “ready to send.” That's exactly the energy we want them to feel.
A bold typeface that extends the logotype’s characteristics
Supermolot Grotesk matched the visual language of the logotype — geometric, slightly condensed, and confidently angular. It carries the same modular feel, making it a natural extension of the brand. It also performs well across sizes and weights, which made it a strong choice for both headlines and interface copy.
Icons that move and feel like climbing shapes
I created a custom icon set with consistent stroke weights and curves, built to reflect actual climbing moves and concepts. They’re clean, bold, and recognizably part of the same visual language.
Bringing the (em)powered performance to social
Our social media had to feel like part of the climb. So I treated it as an extension of TENDOR’s (em)powered performance. Not just showing sends, but sharing the real stuff too. This is one example of how we tell stories that bring climbers together.
From screen to wall bringing TENDOR into climbing culture
TENDOR’s digital experience needed to translate into the physical world where climbers actually train and connect. I designed brand applications that would feel natural in climbing gyms and outdoor spaces, ensuring the brand presence enhances rather than disrupts the climbing community experience.
The ride that takes climbers further
After building the digital experience, I started thinking about how TENDOR could show up in the real world. One idea: full community trips—organized by TENDOR, powered by membership. I designed cards, tickets, and even a branded van to make it feel real, fun, and part of something bigger.
What I learned designing for a sport I love
Designing for a community I’m part of was both an advantage and a challenge. Being a climber gave me insight—but I had to constantly test my assumptions. The AR prototype made that obvious: the body can sit in the room and still miss the holds, and near is not enough. TENDOR pushed me into machine learning, spatial tracking, and tools that turn motion into something you can actually use.