TOOLS UTILIZED
USER EXPERIENCE & PRODUCT DESIGN
DESIGNING A HYBRID WATCH
ABOUT MUSE WEARABLES
Muse Wearables, a Bangalore-based tech startup known for its elegant hybrid watches, tasked me with designing the next generation of their Hybrid Watch.
DURATION: 3 Months
THE GOAL
To create a watch that seamlessly blends classic watch aesthetics with must-have smart features, appealing to a diverse and tech-savvy young adult demographic.
ROLE
Pooja Konde (Product Designer end-to-end)
Engineer/ Co-Founder
Project Manager
Production Engineer
THE IMPACT
🎉 The watch was successfully launched in the Indian market in July 2022 on Amazon and Muse Website which received great feedback from our investors and customers
🌟 Positive reviews soared, indicating a renewed appreciation for the watch's design and functionality.
💸 Achieved an unprecedented 30% increase in product sales, exceeding initial projections.
🏆 The watch's focus on innovation and user-centric design garnered positive media attention and solidified Muse's position as a leader in the hybrid watch market.
PROBLEM
The Muse Grandeur Hybrid Watch, once a signature product, is facing a challenge. The current design suffers from usability issues, a poor user experience (UX), and an outdated aesthetic. This translates to low sales and a high rate of watch abandonment – a problem we can't ignore.
🎯 Why This Problem Matters
The Muse hybrid watch, a key driver of revenue, faces major usability issues that lead to user abandonment (45% churn rate within 6 months). This presents a significant challenge impacting the company's profitability.
💸 What Impact Does It Create
Launching a new-generation hyrbid watch collection with an improved UX can reignite user interest and drive sales growth. This translates to increased revenue to fuel future innovation and employee well-being.
👥Who Can We Target?
The current design is failing to resonate with our target demographic: young, tech-savvy adults. This untapped potential represents a missed opportunity to connect with a generation that values both style and functionality.
MY ROLE
As a recent grad, I joined Muse during the pandemic, eager to make a real impact. I took ownership of the project, wearing many hats and leading the design process from research to launch.
Here's what I did to make it happen
🔍 UX Foundation and Approach
User research, persona development, crafting user journeys, prototyping, and user testing to ensure a seamless user experience.
🔧 Industrial Design Execution
Countless iterations, sketches, designing for manufacturability, and final handoff for production.
🎨Cohesive Design System and Visual Storytelling
Contributing to brand identity, styling elements, visuals, illustrations, and packaging design for a cohesive brand experience.
Typical Features of a Hybrid Watch
🤔 But first let's understand what exactly is a hybrid watch?
How might we design a next-generation hybrid watch that seamlessly blends classic elegance with essential smart features, targeting young adults who value both style and functionality?
😕 Caught Between Analog and Digital
"I hate wearing a mini-screen on my wrist, but analog watches feel a bit outdated. I don't need all the bells and whistles, but basic notifications and maybe activity tracking would be nice. Can't we have something in between?"
🤩 Desire for Versatility
"I love the idea of a hybrid watch, but I wish it could adapt to my style. Leather strap for work, a lightweight strap for workouts... you know?"
😌 Comfort is King
"My old watch feels clunky on my wrist. I want something sleek, lightweight, and comfortable enough to wear all day long."
RESEARCH INSIGHTS
What Do Users Feel?
During interviews with 15 potential customers, I delved into their thoughts about watches, uncovering both frustrations and desires.
HEURISTIC EVALUATION
😢 The sub-dial was unclear and the watch case was uncomfortable to wear it all day long!
I worked with my product manager to identify core functionalities users value (carried forward) and areas for improvement in the upcoming collection.
DATA SYNTHESIS
User Persona: Mia
💼 Young professional, 28 years old, lives in a major city. Works in marketing.
Empathetic Needs
✅ Extension of her ever-evolving style.
✅ Effortlessly adapts from professional settings to drinks with friends.
✅Ensure she can be available for her commitments.
Pain Points
🚫 Watches that feel too sporty for work or too formal for casual outings create outfit dilemmas.
🚫 Switching between multiple watches throughout the day.
🚫Short battery life in traditional smartwatches requires frequent charging,
🚫Juggling notifications across multiple devices (phone, watch, laptop) disrupts her workflow and creates information overload.
DESIGN STRATEGY
Narrowing it down to the key areas for improvement - The Interaction, Usability and Visual Delight
Based on user insights and evaluation, I identified three key design strategies
01.
👥 Functionality + Interaction
Minimize cognitive load by focusing on essential smart features. Eliminate the need for a screen and leverage intuitive 2-button control for a user-friendly experience.
02.
🤗 Comfort and Versatility
Employ ergonomic design principles with smooth curves and comfortable materials for extended wear, fully detachable straps along with sizes and materials to accommodate different preferences and activities.
03.
🧩 Cohesive Visual Language
Seamless integration between dial design and physical body. The dial should not only display information clearly but also echo the overall design language of the watch, creating a visually unified and aesthetically pleasing experience.
DESIGN EXPLORATIONS
My ideas for those strategies were pretty straightforward at first
01.
🌟 Utilize 2 buttons for interaction, haptic feedback for notifications
Single and double presses would allow for functionalities like checking messages, calls and music control, etc. simplifying user interaction and keeps the design clean.
02.
⌚ Interchangeable Straps and Sleeker Case Body
Sleeker, curved metal bodies in four variations are on the table. Detachable straps in different sizes (40mm and 36mm)
03.
🎨 Dial design that is glanceable with simple fonts but playful colors
Differentiating activity tracking and notification displays (potentially at the 6 o'clock position) while highlighting the chronograph hand.
USER TESTING THE CONCEPTS
Getting from Ideas to Execution was a challenge, it took MANY iterations!
Interaction and Features
⚠️ Challenge: Prioritizing functionality for the 2 buttons
User testing revealed that users have different priorities wrt to notifications between call control, music control or click pictures.
💡Solution: Unique Needs so allow customization on the app
Leave room and freedom for users to change from the accompanying mobile app what features mattered most to them.
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User Personas
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My company's target audience for the hybrid watch is young professionals aged 20 and above who are health-conscious, have busy lives, care about fashion and want to stay updated with tech.
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My mood board aims to capture a minimal, modern, and versatile design with bold accents and a smooth, transitional aesthetic.
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By understanding the needs and wants of these target users, I was able to design a hybrid watch that meets their unique needs. Below are four of the several personas and moodboard I created:
Mood board
The mood board I created aimed to capture a minimal, modern, and versatile design with bold accents and a smooth, transitional aesthetic suitable for the target audience young professionals.
Physical Body Human Factors
⚠️ Challenge: Itchy Straps, Still Bulky Watch
While user testing some samples we found materials for strap were itchy and non-breathable. Because of the inner component thickness the watch was still bulky
💡Solution: Vegetable tanned Leather, Steep Curves
After some secondary research, I found and suggested vegetable tanned leather to prevent itchiness and made a steep curved design to remove extra material off the sides, so the watch is perceived sleeker with 3 part assembly.
Improving Glanceability of the Dial
⚠️ Constraints: Limited Sub-dial size, prev icons were not legible
The size of the dial was 40mm which meant less real estate which meant priortizing information in a small space.
💡Solution: Recognizable Icons, High Colour Contrast
Collaborating with the visual designer, we made sure icons were of a legible size, used colour contrast to highlight the chrono-hand while maintaining a playful and bold vibe.
A GIST OF THE COHESIVE VISUAL DESIGN SYSTEM
🚫 The lack of a unified design language created inconsistencies across Muse Wearables' products and user interfaces. This not only impacted brand recognition but also potentially led to usability issues.
PROBLEM: TIME CONSTRAINT
💡 Hacks implemented to solve this problem
THE IMPACT OF THIS
📈 By initiating the creation of a comprehensive brand identity, I established a foundation for design consistency. This streamlined design processes, reduced errors by 40%, and boosted overall efficiency.
DESIGN GUIDELINES OUTLINED
Creativity, Honesty and Innovation
🚀 Challenging tech norms
🎨 Obsessing over product beauty
💪 Empowering users to break the mold
Visual Language
🌈 Bold and vibrant color palette
👁️🗨️ Prioritizing accessibility
🤝 Inclusivity
Typography - Style Nunito
✍️ Creativity in typography
📖 Legibility
🔁 Versatility
A vibrant splash of COLOURS, showcasing the diversity and beauty of the Muse OS
Font: Nunito was chosen for Muse OS because of it’s tall X height, open apertures, tabular numbers and rounded edges.
DESIGN EXECUTION
🛠️ Creating Prototypes, making sure the manufacturability requirements while designing the parts of the watch, assembly and finishing.
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Prototyping and Testing
HAND-OFF
🗣️ I made the process easy with regular communication across cross-functional team and created hand-off documents including CAD models and sketches for the engineers and manufacturers
Colour and Material Guides
Manufacture Drawings
DESIGN DETAILING
📐 Elevating the watch's aesthetics and brand identity through like engravings, logos, and unique finishing touches.
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DESIGN OUTCOME
✨ It all finally came together. Here's how my ideas turned out ✨
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
🎁 To help prepare for launch, I designed a gift-like unboxing journey. The packaging utilized clear visual hierarchy and intuitive interactions, ensuring a smooth and delightful product discovery.
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VISUAL STORYTELLING
🤹♂️ On both the packaging and website, my illustrations utilized visual storytelling to communicate a playful scene with hands wearing the watch in various settings effectively highlighted its adaptability.
REFLECTION
🚀 In a nutshell, my first project was a success
and I learnt these 3 important lessons:
🎯 Ownership & User-Centered Design
As the lead designer, I used a user-centered approach, ensuring that all design decisions were rooted in user research and insights. This leadership taught me taking a product from idea to execution.
⏩ Adaptable in a Fast-Paced Environment
I honed my ability to make quick, informed decisions while embracing a "test and iterate" mindset. This agility proved crucial in navigating unforeseen challenges and maintaining project momentum.
🌐 Cross-team Collaboration & Impact
Working collaboratively across design, marketing, and engineering teams provided a valuable lesson in the impact of well-considered to influence user engagement and ultimately, revenue growth.
Fin. Thank you for reading! :)