VEDANT SHARMA

I'm a Designer based in Bengaluru with six years of experience, nearly four of which have been at Ather Energy, designing rider-facing systems for electric two-wheelers. My work spans interaction design, HMI, and typography, with a focus on clarity under motion, legibility at speed, and behaviour that feels invisible in real riding conditions.

I come from a background in typeface and graphic design, which shapes how I approach every interface problem, through hierarchy, precision, and visual decisions built to last across vehicles and product lines.

Outside of work: solo motorcycle rides, strength training, photography, and films that linger.


CV

vedant@vdnt.me

Instagram

LinkedIn
 AtherStack OS

Role
Product Designer

Scope
Visual System · Interaction Design · Cross-Vehicle Adaptation · Regional Language · Connectivity

Collaborators
HMI Design Team · Product · HMI Engineers · System Intelligence · Form Design · Brand

Timeline
2022 - 2025


The Stack



AtherStack is the HMI platform powering Ather’s electric two-wheelers across performance and family segments. It spans touch and non-touch displays, multiple hardware tiers, and supports over 350,000 vehicles in the field.

The challenge here was not designing individual dashboards.

It was defining a system that could remain coherent across vehicles with different personalities, interaction paradigms, hardware capabilities, and regional language requirements.

The work unfolded across multiple layers of the platform.






1. 450X Gen 3.1:
Establishing the Foundation

The 450X UI formed the structural base of the system.

This platform established the core visual and interaction language that later vehicles would inherit.

Constraints included:

  • Limited hardware bandwidth
  • Performance-sensitive animation budgets
  • Outdoor visibility under glare
  • Information density under vibration

The system was designed to feel performance-oriented, precise, and controlled. Aligning with the character of the 450X.


Toyota Supra - Photo credit: Toyota Motor Corporation
SR-71B Blackbird - Photo credit: Judson Brohmer / U.S. Air Force / NASA


2. Rizta Non-Touch:
Adapting Under Constraint

Rizta’s non-touch display introduced the first major structural tension. The 450X system assumed direct touch interaction. Rizta non-touch required joystick-based navigation.

This fundamentally changed:

  • Focus management
  • Information density
  • Menu depth
  • Interaction feedback

The challenge was balancing consistency with usability.




3. Rizta Touch:
Translating Character


Rizta touch was closer to the 450X interaction model, but the vehicle character was different.

The 450X communicates performance. Rizta communicates stability and reassurance. The same system needed to feel calmer.

This was achieved through:

  • Slight tonal adjustments in visual emphasis
  • More restrained motion behaviour
  • Softer hierarchy transitions
  • A more approachable presentation of ride data

The underlying system remained structurally identical, but its expression adapted to the vehicle’s intent.









A Family Kind of Performance

If Apex was about precision and speed, Rizta was about reassurance and stability.

Rizta was positioned as Ather’s family vehicle — approachable, practical, and dependable. The identity could not feel aggressive. It needed to feel inviting, without losing the core Ather DNA. 


I collaborated closely with a Graphic Designer on this project.


Balancing Form and Perception

The vehicle form was more laid-back and visually bulkier than the 450 series. The logotype needed to counterbalance that weight.

Referencing the first-generation Suzuki Katana, I observed how static typography could contrast aggressive form. The graphic and the machine created tension together.

With Rizta, the equation reversed. The form was relatively calm and substantial. The typography needed to introduce subtle dynamism.






Constructing the Logotype



Explorations focused on:

  • Controlled curvature
  • Strong horizontal stability
  • Movement
  • And fun

The final Rizta logotype emerged as bold and grounded. Not exaggerated for effect, but defined through proportion and weight.


Subtle details were embedded intentionally:

  • A bolt-like negative form between the Z and T
  • Terminal cues referencing battery polarity

These elements were restrained. Discoverable, not decorative.



When applied as a raised physical badge, the balance between positive and negative space became more critical. The form needed to hold physically and not collapse into softness. The optical corrections required for these 3D applications were ultimately integrated into the 2D master version as well.  


Rizta went on to become Ather’s highest-selling product, selling over 230,000 units (as of Jan, 2026), playing a key role in the company going public. 












NEXT 
Typeface For Speed