7 design opportunities for wearables

From data and content to context and meaning we collected seven patterns to fuel your wearable and smart watch solutions.

1. Collect data, provide meaning

Which behavioural data reaps business value? How could you turn collected data into customer value?

John Hancock provides a cheaper life insurance in exchange of your Fitbit data

2. Glanceable content

Can you make your content highly glanceable to require virtually zero cognitive overhead?

Glance at Withings Activité’s activity tracking dial without losing the attention you have invested elsewhere

3. Characterize the differentiating aspects

How could you utilize bio-sensors, haptic feedback and hidden gestures in a meaningful way?

Aria’s Android SmartStrap lets you put off the lights with a snap

4. Push relevant info based on context

How could customers benefit from a proactive, assistant like behaviour? What kind of information could be pushed?

Google Now’s contextual notifications are enabled by a range of sensors and Google’s big data capabilities

5. Atomize services

How could you break down your services by the different contexts they could be used in? How could you mix your atoms with other services?

Atomizing enabled Spotify to contextualize its services

6. Curate vs. Create

Can you provide a platform which helps customers explore app collections?

Pinterest has thematic app collections from health to small business apps

7. Less interaction with technology

Can you provide enough information on the watch so the customer doesn’t have to check other devices?

Uber’s Pebble app removes the need to constantly check your phone for your ride’s status as it arrives

+1 Don’t trust lists. Design a solution tailored for your product and customers.

Come up with innovative solutions for your business problem in three steps:
1) Understand your customers by actually meeting them in the context of use
2) Involve your organization in producing ideas to build buy-in and streamline implementation
3) Rapidly iterate on solution prototypes by testing them on real customers in real contexts

Contact our team of service designers, user experience designers and brand strategists and let’s get your wearable strategy rolling!

Co-authors: Ágoston László, Judit Boros and Kiss Zsuzsa