VEDANT SHARMA

I’m a Senior Product Designer based in Bengaluru, working across interaction design, typography, and vehicle HMI. I design rider-facing systems for electric two-wheelers, focusing on clarity under motion, legibility at speed, and behaviour that feels intuitive in real-world riding conditions.

With a background in typeface and graphic design, I approach interface problems through hierarchy, precision, and visual decisions that scale across vehicles and product lines.

Outside of work, I spend time on solo motorcycle rides, strength training, photography, and watching films that linger emotionally.


CV

vedant@vdnt.me

Instagram

LinkedIn
MAGIC TWIST


Role
 Product Designer

Scope
Interaction Design · UI Feedback · Regenerative Braking Behaviour · State Definition

Collaborators
Product · HMI Design Lead · System Intelligence · Marketing


Magic Twist redefined deceleration on an electric scooter by turning the throttle into a bidirectional control, accelerating forward and regenerating energy through a controlled 15° reverse twist.

The video above explains the interaction design behind the feature. 



A detailed casestudy is in the works. Contact to know more.



Rethinking Deceleration



Magic Twist, better known as OTR (Only Throttle Ride) internally, introduced active regenerative braking controlled directly through the throttle. Passive regen already existed but riders had no direct control over it.

The System Intelligence team at Ather had developed a new mechanism that enabled controlled regenerative braking through user input. The question was not whether it worked.

The question was:

How should it behave?




One Control. Two Directions.


Reverse throttle was chosen as the interaction.

It isolated acceleration and deceleration to a single control surface:

  • Twist forward → Increase speed
  • Twist backward → Decrease speed and regenerate

This made the interaction binary and intuitive. No additional levers. No secondary controls. Just muscle memory.





The 15° Decision


The reverse angle was heavily tested before I joined the project.

  • 5° felt too shallow to modulate
  • 20°+ created wrist strain
  • 15° became the optimal middle ground


Final behaviour:
  • 90° forward twist → Full acceleration
  • 15° reverse twist → Active regenerative braking


The constraint was fixed. My role was to design the system around it.



Designing the Behaviour

OTR was not a single state feature.

It had layered states:

  • OFF
  • ON
    • Low Regen
    • High Regen
    • Derated Mode


Derated Mode occurred when the system could not accept full regenerative input, such as:

  • High battery temperature
  • Battery at 100% SOC
  • Motor limitations
  • External system faults

This required a state-based behavioural model, not just a toggle.