DESIGN THINKING

SMART
WATCH
Shashank Rallabandi (21)
SY BTECH CSE - PANEL F
 OVERVIEW
W H AT A R E S M A RT- WAT C H E S ?

A smartwatch is a cutting-edge wearable device that combines the functionality of a traditional wristwatch with advanced
technology and connectivity features. Designed to be worn on the wrist, smartwatches offer a wide array of capabilities that extend
far beyond simply telling the time. These devices have gained immense popularity due to their ability to seamlessly integrate with
smartphones, provide instant notifications, monitor health and fitness metrics, and offer a range of interactive features.

Unlike traditional watches, smartwatches boast vibrant touchscreen displays that allow users to interact with apps, receive and
respond to messages, control music playback, track their physical activity, and even make payments using built-in payment systems.
With wireless connectivity, smartwatches can pair with smartphones via Bluetooth, enabling users to stay connected to their digital
lives without needing to constantly check their phones.
 SMART WATCHES

FEATURES
1. Design and Display: Smartwatches come in various designs, shapes, and sizes to 4. Notifications and Alerts: Smartwatches can display notifications from apps,
suit different preferences. They typically feature touchscreen displays that can vary in messages, emails, and social media platforms directly on their screens. Users can
size and resolution. The display is used to interact with the device, view notifications, quickly glance at their wrist to see incoming information without having to pull out
and access various functions. their smartphones.

2. Connectivity: Smartwatches are designed to pair with smartphones via Bluetooth or 5. Apps and Customization:
Wi-Fi. This connection allows them to receive notifications, calls, messages, and other Most smartwatches support a variety of apps that can be downloaded and installed
updates from the paired phone. Some smartwatches also have cellular connectivity, from an app store. These apps can range from productivity tools to entertainment and
enabling them to function independently of a smartphone. health-related apps. Users can customize their watch faces, choose which apps to
receive notifications from, and personalize settings to suit their preferences.

3. Health and Fitness Tracking: One of the key features of many smartwatches is their 6. Voice Commands:
health and fitness tracking capabilities. They can monitor various metrics such as heart Many smartwatches are equipped with voice recognition technology, allowing users
rate, steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, sleep patterns, and more. These to interact with their devices using voice commands. This feature is often powered by
devices often include built-in sensors like accelerometers, heart rate monitors, and virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, or Amazon Alexa.
GPS for accurate tracking.
 7. Payment Integration:
Some smartwatches support contactless payments using technologies like NFC (Near Field Communication). Users can
make payments at supported retailers by simply tapping their watch on a payment terminal.

8. Music and Media Control:

Smartwatches can control media playback on paired devices, such as smartphones or Bluetooth speakers. They may also
have built-in storage for music, allowing users to listen to music without needing a phone nearby.

9. Battery Life:
Battery life varies widely among different smartwatch models. Some can last for several days
on a single charge, while others might need to be charged every day or two.

10. Compatibility:
Smartwatches are typically designed to work with specific operating systems, such as Apple's
watchOS for the Apple Watch or Wear OS for watches compatible with Android devices.

11. Fashion and Style:

Many smartwatch manufacturers have focused on making their devices fashionable and stylish,
allowing users to wear them as both tech gadgets and fashion accessories.
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THE GUIDE

These list items are brought together with respect to three simple principles. Design, Accessibility, and Ease-of-use. Let’s
see what these three principles teach us while designing a smartwatch.

1. The Real-estate & Layout

Considering the Apple Watch 40mm screen size, it is 40.2% smaller than iPhone8. Designing something for such a smaller
resolution and making everything look legible would be a critical job for any designer. Yet, companies across the globe
DESIGN THINKING

leveraging this opportunity to make life easier for people

 2. Gestures
One thing everyone would expect from such a smaller screen is ‘Ease of
Access’, but how do we achieve that?
Yes, we don’t usually think of gesture-based navigation while designing for a
smartphone, but it is a good idea to consider gestures coming to a smaller
screen real-estate like a smartwatch. For example, ‘Swipe right to go back’
from Apple can save us space for ‘Back’ action in every single screen of the
watch, and it is effective too.

3. Limited actions on screen

Cut to the point !

On a smaller real estate like a smartwatch, it is difficult to accommodate

space for everything in one room. If we do so, that might make users unable
to focus on what’s important. It may also lead to confusion, irritation, and
frustration, and let the user look for a wall to bang their head on, which we
don’t want to happen.

“A USER NEVER COMPLAINS IF THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT ON SCREEN BUT THEY DEFINITELY
REGRET IF SOMETHING IS THERE AND IT’S NOT ACCESSIBLE”.
 4. Avoid complex functionalities or user flows
Avoid creating hierarchies deeper than two or three levels. Shallow hierarchies
make it easier for people to find what they want quickly. Including more than
two or three levels of information might cause people to lose their place during
navigation.

5. Margins & Paddings

“Law of proximity, a law from Gestalt Laws of Grouping, states that objects that are near, or
proximate to each other, tend to be grouped together and perceived as one family”

Grouping helps users understand and organize the information faster and more efficiently. In the
UI it can be achieved with the help of margins and paddings between components.
In other words, this breathing space around the UI elements is crucial to make a design ergonomic
and helps your design work just as you intended to.

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6. Buttons & Actions
While designing buttons avoid using color as the only way to show interactivity. WatchOS uses a rounded rectangle shape as the primary way to
indicate interactivity for buttons and lists. This will ensure people with color blindness will perceive the information the same as any other user.
Besides, the utilization of more colorful elements on the screen impacts battery life.

7. Typography
On other platforms like smartphones or on the web, you are allowed to play with a variety of fonts. But when it comes to a smartwatch you must
pick your fonts wisely. Wrong font choices may leave a greater impact on your designs. For example, Montserrat has wide letters that cover more
screens for less info, because of which you cannot showcase all your most needed information in one shot.
8. Colors
One of the primary objectives of any smartwatch is to scan the info at a glance. To make the
information pop well under different light conditions, it is suggested to use bright colors that
are easy to perceive and make the text legible.

A well-defined color palette not only aids your branding, but it also creates a visual continuity
between different screens.

Google uses monochromatic color palettes that help differentiate elements on the screen. Google says “Darker backgrounds are more suitable for social
environments as they make screens less obtrusive”. Even when used in OLED displays, darker colors also better preserve battery life.

11. Micro Interactions

Micro-interactions creates a more natural experience by adding a new level of depth to the interaction design. Micro-interactions includes icon animations,
page transitions between views, button animations, and all other interactive elements.

Micro-interactions are the only powerful design elements that can deliver natural emotions through design. For example, animated icons for ‘files dropped in
a bin’, ‘files uploaded successfully’, etc. In other words, smoother the interactions, smoother the experience.

Researchers have discovered that the optimal speed for interface animation is between 200 and 500 ms. Any animation shorter than 100 ms is instantaneous
and won’t be recognized at all.

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Animations or micro-interactions should be as subtle as possible to make the experience seamless. If you are keen on motion design
15. WatchFaces

While designing a watch face you can’t limit your creativity, but you must limit the
data that you need to present on a watch face. The information should focus on what
the user wants to see at a glance. Here are a few things Apple and Google show on
their watch faces.

The first is Time and date.

Missed notifications count.
The player controls if the music is playing.
Pulse Rate
Weather
Fitness metrics such as calories, distance, steps, etc.
Device connectivity
Battery Status

12. Haptics (Vibration feedback)

Having micro-interactions on-screen makes the UI feel seamless, but what if your user
is color blind or needs some accessibility features?
That’s when “haptics” comes into the scene, to give that personal touch from the
device.
 PRICING
The pricing of smartwatches can be influenced by several factors, both from the
manufacturer's perspective and the consumer's point of view. Here are some key constraints
that affect the pricing of smartwatches:

1. Features and Technology:

The more advanced and sophisticated the features and technology of a smartwatch, the
higher the production costs and, consequently, the retail price. For example, built-in GPS,
heart rate monitoring, cellular connectivity, and advanced health sensors can all contribute to
a higher price tag.

2. Brand and Reputation:

Well-established brands with a strong reputation often command higher prices due to
customer loyalty and perceived quality. Consumers may be willing to pay more for a
smartwatch from a trusted and recognized brand.

3. Materials and Build Quality:

The choice of materials used in the construction of a smartwatch can significantly impact its
cost. Premium materials like stainless steel, sapphire glass, and high-quality bands can drive
up the price.
4. Research and Development Costs:
Innovation and the development of new features can lead to higher R&D costs, which manufacturers may pass on to consumers through higher
prices.

5. Manufacturing Costs:
The cost of producing a smartwatch, including components, assembly, and quality control, can determine its pricing. Complex designs or specialized
components can increase manufacturing costs.

6. Competition:
The level of competition in the smartwatch market can influence pricing. Manufacturers might adjust their prices to remain competitive within the
market and attract consumers.

7. Consumer Demand and Perception of Value:

Consumer preferences and perceived value play a significant role in pricing. If a smartwatch is seen as offering unique features or addressing
specific needs, consumers might be more willing to pay a higher price.
8. Production Scale:
Economies of scale come into play when producing large quantities of a product. Mass production can reduce production costs and potentially lead to
more affordable pricing.
9. Target Audience:
Smartwatches aimed at specific audiences, such as fitness enthusiasts or luxury seekers, might have pricing that reflects the perceived value for that
group.

10. Software and App Ecosystem:

The availability and quality of apps and software updates can influence the overall user experience. A robust app ecosystem might justify a higher price.
 Here's a general overview of the price ranges you might expect to find for different types of smartwatches:

• Basic/Entry-Level Smartwatches: These smartwatches offer essential features like fitness tracking, notifications, and basic app functionality.
Prices typically range from $50 to $150.
• Mid-Range Smartwatches: These models come with more advanced features such as better health tracking, improved build quality, and
potentially more app support. Prices generally range from $150 to $300.
• High-End Smartwatches: High-end smartwatches often feature premium materials, advanced health sensors, longer battery life, and a broader
range of features. Prices can start around $300 and go up to $800 or more.
• Luxury Smartwatches: Luxury smartwatches are designed with high-end materials, craftsmanship, and exclusive features. These can often
exceed $1,000 and go well into several thousand dollars.
• Branded Smartwatches: Smartwatches from well-known brands like Apple, Samsung, and Garmin tend to be priced higher due to their
popularity, brand reputation, and extensive features. Prices for these can range from mid-range to high-end, depending on the model and features.
Additionally, discounts, promotions, and newer versions of existing models can influence the prices you find in the market.
THANKYOU