Pre-College Programs
  • Summer Programs
  • Course Options
  • Spatial Computing / Engineering
  • Spatial Computing: Design for the Next Generation of Wearables

Spatial Computing: Design for the Next Generation of Wearables — USC Pre-College

[Photo] A man with dark hair and facial hair wears a white virtual reality headset with a black head strap and a black button-down shirt. Two smiling adults stand out of focus behind him in a softly lit indoor space.

Become a Summer Trojan and earn college credit.

From Apple to Meta, top tech companies are creating wearable technology that allows users to immerse themselves in alternative realities and enhance their interaction with the environments around them. Join USC experts at the forefront of innovation to explore how you can create smart, engaging wearable technology blending storytelling and human-centric design.

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Get hands-on with fully interactive augmented reality glasses and discover the future of personal devices.

Participants will combine skills including storytelling, visual arts and programming, leveraging vibe-coding to build and test rich prototypes within weeks.

Along the way, participants will explore user experience design and app development while becoming confident in their abilities to ideate, iterate on and prototype projects.

[Photo] Two students work together at a classroom table, smiling while programming a laptop and assembling an electronics project on a breadboard with wires and components. Tools, batteries, a multimeter and other electronics supplies are spread across the workspace as classmates work on similar projects in the background.

Topics of Study

  • Smart glasses (by Specs and Apple)
  • Augmented reality (AR)
  • Vibe-coding to prototype ideas

Learning Highlights

  • Get real insights into the future of personal devices that connect us with content, creativity and each other in more immersive and collaborative ways
  • Understand how moving in and engaging with our physical world will be key to elevating experiences
  • Learn and apply design concepts for discovery and interaction in three-dimensional spaces
  • Use vibe-coding to bring your concepts to life in a visual and interactive presentation
  • Present insights into areas of impact for smart augmented reality device use, concepts for meaningful user experiences and a proof-of-concept prototype for your team’s experience idea

Requirements

  • Participants must bring their own laptops
WeekFocusKey TopicsAssignments and Activities
1The Value of AR Wearables
User experience design; content types that fit augmented realityField trip to the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
2Building Blocks of Spatial Interaction in AR
Visual design; interaction design; programming; animation Meet the creators of Specs Augmented Reality glasses.
3Designing and Building AR Projects
App flow; onboarding users; feedback and user reward; iterating on your prototypeBuild in small teams using design thinking and vibe-coding.
4Refining and Presenting AR Projects
User testing; learning from peers; presenting proof-of-concept work with confidenceComplete your prototype and present it to industry professionals!

USC Summer Programs offers a super welcoming environment and great course options that show you a lot of information that you won't receive in your typical AP classes in high school.

— USC Summer Programs participant
[Photo] Students sit around classroom tables listening attentively during a group session, with notebooks, cups and water bottles visible on the tables. Several students face the speaker with focused expressions while others look toward the front of the room.
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