Wearable devices have landed across the chasm and into the hands of early users. This is because of high competition between smart watches, smart eyewear as well as smart textile. Even so an arguement has been placed that new devices do not work well as they are promised. According to the contrary scenario of the two technology products such as Apple watch and Google glass, their 2015 sales have revealed that the variability in shape, color and design play a very important part in the success of a wearable device.
At WT | Wearable Technologies, we define a wearables device as being on, near or inside the body. With that said, we also recognize how extreme the process to making each one of these devices may be. In the perspective of product design for consumer devices, designers need to consider what value their product gives to the diversity of consumers. The question they need to answer is: What will make my customers wear this device every day? A prime example is Apple Watch. They have successfully persuades customers to own their own modern lifestyle is a diversity of colors and exchangeable wrist bands.
Misfit and Jawbone are other examples of creating a customer specific product.
Their flexibility in shape creates a comfortable feeling for wearers to wear their activity trackers all the day and night. Additionally, providing different shapes that can be moldable to the user’s different purposes allows for durability, and constant use. For example, with a smart watch which can track activity, and monitor sleep but is not tolerant to extreme sweat – would fail the expectation of people who bought the device. Other factors to consider are long battery life, and ideal size for comfort. Fitbit is one of the first wearable companies to go public. This is in large part because they understand their customer. They offer various shapes for their products with different purposes. Their products include: Zip for activities tracker; One – a smart watch for activities tracker with sleep monitoring; Flex for activities and sleep tracker; Surge – a multi-functional smart watch.
In addition, Misfit offers the best flexibility in shape for the products. With a very thin, light round tracker, users can easily combine it with a wristband, a necklace or even clip it to clothing, on the shoes or even loop it onto the key chain for any purposes.
The more varieties of a product allow for more diversity in customers. Designers should strive to create a more personal experience in their products; such as color and shape. Now that we have crossed the chasm people are more willing to buy a wearable device because of the coolness of tech. However, wearables have the potential to go further than being a tech device in order to expand into the fashion realm. Combining good technology with good design will strike a balance between the quick obsolescence and mass market targeting of wearables.
