Interview about Muse Smartwatch Face, winner of the A' Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design Award 2021
The Muse is a smartwatch face that does not look like a traditional watch. Its totemic background is the key element to tell the hour, and together with a glare-like stroke to point out the minute. The combination of them politely conveys the sense of time flow. The overall gemstone looking greatly renders an exotic user experience.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe totemic background of the Muse Smartwatch Face was an organic outcome of a casual, almost meditative sketching session on my iPad at the bar. I wasn’t aiming for precision but rather exploring shapes and layers that could embody a story. The concept of a “totem” appealed to me as it symbolizes layers of meaning—each layer representing a fragment of time. By embracing these spontaneous lines and patterns, I challenged the conventional need for strict symmetry in time-telling, allowing for a more symbolic interpretation of hours and minutes.
Transforming the Muse Smartwatch Face into something reminiscent of an ancient artifact or gemstone was a conscious decision. I wanted to elevate the experience of checking the time, turning it into a moment of discovery rather than mere function. The gemstone effect ties back to ancient, timeless beauty—a form that feels personal and valuable. It’s about making technology feel intimate, as though the watch face itself holds stories and memories, much like a precious stone.
Balancing artistic vision with functionality required careful layering and contrast. The Muse Smartwatch Face was designed with distinct layers, each responsible for different time elements. The challenge was ensuring that time information remains accessible without overpowering the design. Through intentional color contrasts and selective highlights, I could guide the user’s eye to critical details while preserving the artistic flow.
The highlighted totem layers and glare-like strokes for indicating hours and minutes were both creative and technical decisions. During development, I experimented with different layering techniques, which allowed me to add depth without clutter. The subtle, glare-like strokes resemble natural light reflections on minerals, making the hour and minute markers feel organic and intuitive. This approach enhances the time display’s clarity while maintaining a natural, flowing aesthetic.
Integrating additional information like the date, step count, and battery level was a delicate balancing act. These elements were embedded centrally, yet subtly, so they wouldn’t compete with the totemic layers. I used minimalistic icons and muted colors, ensuring they blend into the overall design but remain easily accessible. This approach allowed the Muse Smartwatch Face to retain both its utility and aesthetic integrity.
Receiving the A’ Design Award has been a humbling experience, validating my philosophy that art can redefine functionality. This recognition encourages me to continue exploring the intersection of aesthetics and usability in future designs. It reinforces my belief that a watch face can be more than a utility—it can be a canvas for art and personal expression, pushing me to innovate further in my work.
The decision to use Roman numerals was inspired by their classic, timeless appeal. They lend an ancient aura to the design, creating a sense of continuity with historical timekeeping methods. Meanwhile, the color choices were aimed at enhancing the gemstone aesthetic—deep greens, blues, purples—each hue chosen to evoke a different precious stone, giving users a feeling of wearing something unique and storied.
The Muse Smartwatch Face’s evolution from an initial iPad sketch to the final product involved critical design decisions. One of the most significant was the transition from abstract shapes to a more refined totemic pattern that could still convey time subtly. Deciding on the right color scheme and achieving the gemstone texture were also pivotal. These elements shaped the final design’s identity as something both functional and artistic.
The Muse Smartwatch Face embodies my philosophy that technology and art aren’t mutually exclusive but can coexist to enhance user experience. I believe that an interface should evoke emotion and reflect the user’s personal style while maintaining usability. The Muse Smartwatch Face is a product of this philosophy, merging art and technology in a way that brings beauty to the functional aspects of timekeeping.
As wearable interfaces evolve, I envision the design principles behind the Muse Smartwatch Face influencing a future where technology feels more intimate and personalized. Wearable tech has the potential to be as much about self-expression as about utility. My hope is that these principles—integrating symbolic design, material-inspired textures, and an emphasis on user connection—will shape a future where wearables are viewed as personal artifacts rather than mere gadgets.
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