VEDANT SHARMA

I'm a Designer based in Bengaluru with seven years of experience, 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.


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vedant@vdnt.me

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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.




1. 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?




2. 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.




3. 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.



4. 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.