Interview about The English Numbers Smartwatch Watch Face , winner of the A' Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design Award 2019
A natural way to read time. The English and numbers go together, form a futuristic look and feel. The layout of the dial let user gets the information on battery, date, daily steps in a quick way. With multiple colour themes, the overall look and feel is suitable for both casual looking and sporty looking smart watches.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe idea of combining English text with numerical time display in the Artalex English And Numbers IV Smartwatch Watch Face stemmed from a desire to reimagine the reading experience on a smartwatch. Traditional watches focus solely on numerical data, while my approach sought to bridge intuitive language with the precision of numbers. This blend emerged as I realized that language could introduce a more relatable, even poetic, aspect to checking the time, thus creating a more human-centered experience.
In designing for both ease of access and a futuristic look, I focused on a minimalist layout, carefully positioning the elements to minimize clutter. Each display element, from battery status to step count, is laid out for quick readability, while the aesthetic is kept sleek and modern with metallic and subdued tones. The futuristic aesthetic is achieved through subtle gradients and text styles that resonate with high-tech design principles without overpowering functionality.
User feedback played a crucial role in refining the design. Early users requested additional features like step counting and battery percentage, which led to the careful integration of these elements without overwhelming the interface. Research highlighted the importance of a balanced interface where each added feature could be accessed without compromising readability. This feedback refined the font choices, element placement, and the intuitive navigation flow, making each iteration more user-friendly.
Development spanned over a year from May 2017 to July 2018, with key milestones including the prototype phase, where I tested the linguistic-numeric balance, followed by usability testing, which brought valuable insights for layout refinement. Another major phase involved technical optimization to ensure seamless performance across platforms. The final milestone was achieving a cohesive color palette that could shift for different environments, enhancing visual comfort and style flexibility.
To accommodate non-English speakers, I focused on universally recognizable symbols and numbers. Additionally, I considered localization options for future updates, including potential language packs. The core of the design relies on a minimalist approach, ensuring that even users unfamiliar with English can easily grasp the watch face’s primary functions, such as time and essential metrics.
The inspiration for color theme switching was to cater to both professional and casual settings. The palette includes themes that shift from muted tones suitable for work environments to vibrant colors for more casual or outdoor settings. This versatility allows users to match the face to their environment and personal style, enhancing the watch face’s adaptability across various scenarios.
Developing for both the Samsung Gear Store and WatchMaker presented technical challenges, such as ensuring compatibility with different screen resolutions and battery efficiencies. Each platform had unique constraints, requiring adjustments in graphics and code to maintain a consistent experience. These challenges prompted optimizations that ultimately strengthened the design’s performance and adaptability across devices.
Looking forward, I envision smartwatch interfaces becoming more context-aware, adapting displays based on user activity or location. Emerging trends like AI-driven personalization and improved battery technology might allow for even more dynamic and intuitive displays, offering seamless transitions between data types. This evolution would open new avenues for interactive, highly personalized designs.
Deciding which elements to include and how to arrange them involved a meticulous balancing act. I focused on essentials, like time, battery, and steps, while positioning them to avoid overcrowding. I prioritized central placement for the time display, with secondary metrics subtly integrated around it, achieving both aesthetic harmony and functional clarity.
For designers aiming to blend innovation with usability, I recommend focusing on the core user needs first, then introducing creative elements that don’t detract from the main functions. Iterative feedback, prototyping, and testing are invaluable to refine layouts and interactions, ensuring practicality and a smooth user experience. Balancing aesthetic appeal with practical usability requires a design philosophy grounded in empathy for the user’s daily needs.
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