A Foreword by Chapter

Hi reader,

Welcome to our newsletter, A Foreword by Chapter, where we will send you regular updates on Oasis development. Below you will read a little about the story behind Chapter and also Oasis Explorer, a tester prototype available for you to try out.

We’re moving forward.

The thought of starting Chapter began in July 2023 but somehow I think it has been in the making for quite some time now. When I look back and connect dots, it all seems to make sense, to align. I guess the first dot was wanting to become a product designer but more specifically, I wanted to design my own products. The second dot was realising my brain was different both in ways that impacted me and in some ways perhaps benefitted me. As I came to understand my brain and realised I was not alone in my experiences, I saw an opportunity. What would the future look like if we considered the different ways people work, learn and communicate? And how could product design influence this future. So much of life is streamlined for one way of doing things, I think it is past time to reconsider that. And I guess in a way that’s what we want to do at Chapter; reconsider the ways we focus.

“We” is me (Joel) and two of my friends, Vadim and Tony, who share this vision and each bring their own skills and perspectives to Chapter.

Why did we call it Chapter? So far I think naming this startup has been the easiest thing! It came very naturally. I had this product which I called Oasis as it was a metaphor for finding a space you’ve longed for in the midst of a challenging environment. But my vision for a startup was more than Oasis. Oasis is just the first of an ecosystem we are strategically planning. And I wanted to establish this from the very start. A series of products, each their own story…their own chapter.

And so here we are, Chapter 1: Oasis. Since January of this year, I’ve been working on Oasis full time. It’s an exciting, weird, fluctuating and ambitious journey for us and we’re moving forward.

Prepare to explore.

In the early days of developing Oasis as a student, I needed a quick way to test what I was doing would work. So I built 3D prints of Oasis that could demonstrate what it would be like to wear the product without any technology involved. The prototypes allowed me to gather feedback quickly so I could make changes for the next prototype. I would like to start doing this again as I’m developing Oasis.

So I have designed Oasis Explorer, a sort of sample tester of the product for you to try out. Oasis Explorer is a 3D printed prototype to collect feedback from our first users and help develop the Oasis Dimmers.

It's designed for you to experience the early essence of the vignette effect [peripheral vision dimming].

Explorer has no technology which means we can make quite a few of them for people to try. If you are interested in being an early tester and influencing the development of Oasis please fill out the form below! We aim to start sending out prototypes by the end of March.

Stay focused,

Joel & Chapter Team.