wearable ux

wearableuxjess hamilton, sr. ux designer @ gopro

wearables are the future of tech

as of late 2014,

over 20% of adults own a wearable device

source: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/publications/wearable-technology.jhtml

over 80% of adults are familiar with the concept

source: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/publications/wearable-technology.jhtml

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following the law of accelerating returns,

that number is only going up — fast

source: http://vandrico.com/blog/how-wearable-technology-will-change-our-lives

with this kind of adoption,

the market will become saturated

and only the strong will survive

Just look at Activity Trackers

Wikipedia lists over 20 different devices on the “Activity Tracker” page

One of the earliest of the trend (the original FitBit) launched around 2009

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity_tracker#Producers_and_products

Just look at Activity Trackers

Wikipedia lists over 20 different devices on the “Activity Tracker” page

One of the earliest of the trend (the original FitBit) launched around 2009

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity_tracker#Producers_and_products

in just six years

many have already failed (R.I.P. FitBit Force, Nike FuelBand and all the unfunded Kickstarter trackers)

50% of users stop wearing (15% of them within the first 6 months)

source: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/wearables-have-a-dirty-little-secret-most-people-lose-interest/

why?Fatal UX flaws:

They are easy to lose They break They're not waterproof They're a pain to sync with your smartphone The battery doesn't last long enough They're ugly They're uncomfortable to wear They provide no material benefit

source: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/wearables-have-a-dirty-little-secret-most-people-lose-interest/

why?

Lack of compulsion for long-term use through:

Habit formation

Social motivation

Goal reinforcement

what can we learn from these flaws and failures?

a good user experience is the key to survival

what makes “good ux?”

Does this give me value? Is it easy to use? Is it pleasant to use?

source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/05/what-is-user-experience-design-overview-tools-and-resources/

- Douglas Atkin, AirBnB

“In the distant future, we’ll forget the idea of engaging in technology at all. We’ll swallow it,

absorb it, and wear it, without us really thinking we’re engaging in technology per se.”

source: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/publications/wearable-technology.jhtml

new questions to ask

Is it invisible?

Is it essential?

Is it complementary?

82% of millennials agree:

it’s important for wearable tech to help relieve stress

source: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/publications/wearable-technology.jhtml

the good news:

we are all ux designers

dev can improve ux

pay attention to the silent killers:

app responsiveness

server response time

appropriate technology, e.g. for pairing and device communication

code quality and bugginess

and don’t stay silent if something doesn’t seem right.

but most of all

eat your own dogfood

user experience design will help you survive

wearables are the future of tech

thank you!