Interview about The Plant Smartwatch Watch Face, winner of the A' Interface, Interaction and User Experience Design Award 2019
The Plant - Advent & Nature gives you a fresh look and feel. It easily matches your outfit, both for business and casual life. Both two designs (Advent and Nature) have event notification which prevents you from missing important event on calendar. The Advent even shows different encouraging slogan to give you different mood everyday. The Nature is suitable for casual occasion by providing essential information and different colours so that it makes your watch matches different outfit better.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe integration of daily encouraging slogans was inspired by the idea of bringing positivity to routine moments. I carefully crafted these messages to be simple yet impactful, aiming to provide users with a gentle boost throughout their day. User feedback was crucial in measuring the impact; beta testers noted an increase in motivation and connection with the watch face, which encouraged me to further refine the language and display frequency. This approach to emotional design helps create a meaningful, personal experience in everyday interactions.
I aimed to create a seamless and natural interface, where functional elements felt like part of the aesthetic. By merging the battery indicator with the plant background, the design conveys battery status without disrupting the visual flow. The plant illustration changes subtly as battery life decreases, adding a dynamic, organic touch that harmonizes with the face’s themes. This solution minimized on-screen clutter while making the battery status more intuitive and visually engaging.
My background in interactive art has always emphasized storytelling and engagement. For The Plant, I envisioned a design that could adapt to different contexts while maintaining a unified experience. The Advent theme was crafted with clean, structured elements for a professional look, while the Nature theme embraced organic shapes and softer tones. Despite these contrasts, the recurring plant motif and balanced typography ensure that both themes are connected aesthetically, offering users a consistent yet versatile interface.
I focused on making the event notification feature subtle yet noticeable. Using color and spacing, notifications blend seamlessly into the watch face without overwhelming the display. For example, a small color change in the plant drawing or a dot near the main time display indicates new events. This approach allows users to stay informed without sacrificing the minimalist and clean aesthetics central to the Advent and Nature themes.
Throughout the development, I discovered the importance of simplicity in wearable interfaces. Initial concepts were more elaborate, but real-world testing highlighted that simplicity not only enhances aesthetics but also usability. Another discovery was the impact of color adaptability; as users tested different color combinations, I saw how small adjustments in color and contrast could vastly improve readability and user satisfaction. This feedback helped refine the final product into something both functional and visually appealing.
I approached color adaptability by selecting a versatile palette with enough contrast to keep text and icons clear in various lighting conditions. Each color option was tested to ensure the readability of key information remained consistent. I also used subtle gradients and balanced color accents that adapt based on the user’s chosen scheme. This maintains a coherent aesthetic while giving users freedom to personalize their experience without compromising usability.
Balancing technical constraints with creative vision was a rewarding challenge. WatchMaker’s framework required optimizing animations and interactions to ensure smooth performance across devices. I collaborated closely with developers, iterating on aspects like frame rates and responsiveness while preserving the artistic intent. This iterative process ensured that the final design was both visually captivating and technically robust, meeting WatchMaker’s standards without losing the essence of the concept.
Transforming the plant drawing into an interactive watch face was about translating a static concept into a dynamic, functional design. I envisioned the plant as a living entity that reacts to changes in battery life, time, and notifications. Each visual element was adjusted to serve a dual purpose: aesthetically pleasing as a standalone image and functional in an interactive setting. This evolution allowed the design to maintain its organic roots while becoming an engaging tool for users.
I see The Plant as part of a growing trend toward interfaces that foster emotional connection through personalization and interactivity. Future smartwatch designs can build on this by incorporating subtle, mood-enhancing elements and adaptive visuals that respond to the user’s daily life. This approach to emotional design in wearables can make technology feel more human-centered, moving beyond functionality to enhance the user’s well-being and experience.
My advice would be to focus on a core concept that can be adapted to different contexts without losing its identity. By establishing a strong visual and functional foundation, designers can explore variations that cater to different user scenarios. It’s also important to test designs in real-world situations to understand how small adjustments can impact usability. Striving for simplicity, adaptability, and emotional resonance will help create versatile interfaces that users can relate to and rely on.
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