Design Name: PureWatch
Design Description: The challenge was to invent something new. I chose to invent a smart watch that could replace a smart phone and take away the distractions that come with it.
Design Purpose: We see it everywhere, people’s faces buried in their phones, wasting precious time with friends and family to read some tweet or check their texts. More often than not we are baited into opening our phones like ancient greek sailors being seduced by the songs of the sirens, only to be sucked into an endless void of time wasting and distraction. The PureWatch aims to solve this problem by giving users the essentials of a smart phone, while cutting down on the distractions. It comes with 5 essential apps: Messages, Phone, Maps, Calculator, and Calendar. These bring the productivity of a smartphone without the downside of all the distractions.
Thought Process: My thought process when designing the PureWatch was to make it feel less like a piece of technology and more like a piece of jewelry or a fashion statement. Because the PureWatch would be used solely with the apps provided and would only need these apps, you would never need to upgrade to a newer model, which is not true with other smart watches, which become obsolete like any other piece of technology. Because their is no hindrance of obsolecense, users would most likely be more willing to spend a little bit extra on the PureWatch, which means it could have a more luxurious design than other smartwatches that have to be cheap enough to be bought every few years. I took note of this advantage and designed the PureWatch accordingly, with a titanium frame and band that feel more high-end than aluminum and rubber. When it came the coloring, I wanted the PureWatch to be able to cover the widest range of color options with the smallest number of variations. This lead me to choose the most basic colors: black and white. While they may not be as expressive as other colors, anybody would be happy with one of two, with their clean design and ability to go well with any clothing choice. On the software side, I wanted the operating system to be utilitarian and functional yet friendly and warm, like the watch was tailor made for you. This ideology led to the inclusion of the “Hello” which gives off a welcoming attitude and makes the user feel like the technology is truly serving them and not the other way around. When summed up, my thought process was to design a piece of technology that celebrates humanity and human connection over artificial connection on the internet, while simultaneously creating a device that makes us more productive and self-reliant.
Product Specifications: The PureWatch would be made entirely out of titanium, giving the watch a premium and durable feel. Users navigate through the watch by gesturing on the touch sensitive sides of the watch. Swipe up or down to scroll, tap to select, double tap to go back and squeeze to power off. For the display, I wanted the PureWatch’s beautiful operating system to be displayed on a clean but equally as beautiful e-ink panel, to increase battery life and decrease eye strain. The massive battery life alloted thanks to the low power consumption of the e-ink panel allows the display to always be on, so everything on the PureWatch is there exactly when you need it. The watch would have a battery that would last 2 days, so even if you forget to charge, you still have your watch, and if the watch does die, the time is still displayed. The watch would include a cellular radio so that users can use the PureWatch without a phone if they want, or use it as a companion device to their phone.
100 Days of Product Design Website: https://100days.design/index.php/portfolio-items/design-thinking/