Raghav Bhalla

An image demonstrating the inside of a living space. It shows what the user of the application would see with a XR headset.

Raghav is a designer and product developer who specializes in creating high-quality application-layer products, services and platforms. His work builds on extensive research in the field of information theory, particularly in the context of spatial computing and media. He is passionate about intergrating the sensibilities of art and technology to design human-centered endosymbiotic solutions.

Raghav is currently based between London and New Delhi.

Education

Master's in Information Experience Design, Royal College of Art (2021-2023)

Bachelor in Design, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology (2014-2018)

Bachelor in Design (Exchange Programme), École supérieure d'art et de design - Le Mans (2017)

I explore cognitive functions and create prototypes, allowing me to explore insights about the world around me at a fundamental level. While working with new technologies, my focus is on abstracting complexity to craft intuitive experiences.

Prior to joining the RCA, my journey as an artist and product designer made me question the underlying reasons behind people's desires for particular tools and stories. It made me want to learn about the why do we need/want and what do we need/want. This perspective has guided me in developing my own framework for generating critically rigorous ideas and transforming them into emotionally resonant product experiences. I approach each idea as a story, immersing myself in it to orchestrate an outcome. Throughout my education, I have maintained a keen interest in the intersection between desire, creativity, and innovation.

During my time at IED, my initial year (1) involved designing with machine learning tools for healthcare and synthetic biology, which deepened my understanding of navigating intricate multi-agent AI systems and establishing user trust. (2) Additionally, I designed ML based recruitment systems, allowing me to grasp how inclusivity can be fostered within biased data models. (3) The culmination of the year was a research paper exploring the fusion of distributed systems, machine learning, and data privacy, with the objective of revolutionising healthcare accessibility on a large scale in the Indian subcontinent. (You can find the research paper linked below.)

Outside of the RCA, I have been working with seed-stage startups that aim to bridge the digital divide and make digitisation more accessible. In this capacity, I consult on early-stage growth and on alternative strategies for product roadmapping.

Building upon these experiences, my final year projects, Phew and Project Gaia (see below), push forward the potential of spatial computational information.

Phew

Why do we need it and what should its form be ?

The focus of my work during the first half of my 2nd year was on developing augmented reality hardware that could iterate away the problems that hindered XR usage. But a question still persisted : what is a native application for this new platorm of spatial computing? Through experimentation and testing, I discovered that the immersive nature of XR lends itself particularly well to enhancing storytelling. I noticed that the production of such content is currently limited to a handful of specialized artists and studios, but the growing accessibility of machine intelligence-enabled content creation tools is rapidly changing the landscape. There is a notable absence of a platform for sharing and publishing XR content in a way that is accessible and user-friendly, similar to how platforms like YouTube facilitate the sharing and consumption of 2D content. As such, my project aims to design a genre-agnostic platform that will enable users to share and consume XR content.

"Phew" is a media platform built for virtual reality that sets a new standard for accessibility. By utilising the power of machine learning tools such as NeRF, content creation and sharing on the platform is made possible. And a vector database matching system leverages machine learning at the backend to provide navigation within the platform. By being genre-agnostic and providing an immediate user experience, "Phew" aims to make VR easy to use, without a steep learning curve.

(1) The hinderences which prevent people from using XR

(2) Textual research and corresponding insights

(3) Ethnographic research, experiencing competing propositions

(4)

(5)

(6) To experience the Demo, please contact Raghav. Public sharing is currently restricted.

(7) User tests

(8) User tests

(9) User tests

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

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(17) Types of creators on the platform, professional 3D designers

(18) Types of creators on the platform, non-professional

(19) Output of the NeRF, example of content made by non-professional creators on the platform

(20) Example of content made by non-professional creators on the platform, made using a smart phone camera

(21) Example of content made by non-professional creators on the platform, made using a smart phone camera

(22) Property rights documentation, demonstrates the provenance of content on the platform

Project Gaia

A physical projection system, to be placed in the corner of a room. It can simulate augmented reality without the need to be hindered by a headset.

Primary design methodology - Lateral thinking with established technology.

(1) Mission statement

(2) Diagramatic representation of the product requirement document (PRD)

(3)

(4) The projection system enables users to experience spatial digital information without the need to wear a headset, and it can be utilised in any sized room and under varying conditions