How Much Does Design Matter for Wearable Tech?

John Gruber posted an interesting tweet yesterday regarding how important the aesthetic design of a product is:

Of course, some folks aren't interested in the design of a product, but in general it holds true. Some of the appeal of the iPhone is how stunning it is to look at. Part of the appeal of the Moto X is how clean and simple the design is while still being highly customizable.

So why is it that a large number of wearable devices just aren't elegantly designed? I see a few obvious reasons.

  1. Physical limitations - The physical limitations of putting certain sensors, certain screens, and certain features into a device with a battery that can power it is challenging. Very challenging. In many instances, there is no choice but to make the device thicker than is desirable to accommodate the necessary battery, our battery technology simply isn't that good yet.
  2. Unique design - The easiest way for the general public to judge design is if it looks like a product that we know has been beautifully designed. The problem here is that companies can't just all copy one another's designs or things would be very boring. Companies branch out, they try to put their signature mark on the product, and often it just isn't quite right.
  3. Branding - Certain companies cannot resist putting their branding all over a device rather than letting the device speak for itself. The most glaring example is the new Pebble Steel with the large "Pebble" printed right on the face of the watch.

I'm not sure where this leaves us. I don't see any products out today (including the rush of announcements at CES thus far) that I believe will go mainstream, though some will likely sell fairly well. I do know that I've largely stopped wearing my Pebble, I remove my Jawbone Up for any half way formal event, and I wouldn't wear Google Glasses outside my house if I did own them.

I look forward to the wearable revolution, but I am seeing the M5 in the iPhone 5s being more and more valuable as the tracking mechanism of choice since it is beautifully designed and already guaranteed to be with me at all times.

Unexpected Consequence of Wearing a Pebble Smart Watch

I backed the Pebble Kickstarter project on day 3 and was anxious for all 471 days of my wait. There are pros and cons with it, I find myself wearing it for a month or so, then not for the next 3 weeks. Torn in between the two worlds. Plenty of reviews have been written, so I'll skip that.

I found one shocking side effect of wearing the watch that I had not expected, and it remains one of the largest sticking points for me. It isn't the Pebble's fault though.

Volumes have been written about how nice it is to leave your phone in your pocket. While this is true, it does mean you are potentially looking at your watch as many times as you were looking at your phone. There is a social understanding (to some degree) that looking at your phone is accepted. Yes, it is rude when you're with people, but a quick check here and there is usually acceptable (highly dependent on the situation and company of course).

When you're with those people and checking your watch, you look like you're counting the minutes until they're done talking or until you can leave. It comes across as immeasurably rude, and I've gotten the reactions to support that. I find myself having to awkwardly explain that I'm not looking at the time, but rather a push alert of some kind. If you're getting push alerts as often as me, you really just appear to be rude, impatient, and selfish should you chose to check your watch each time. Most of us don't look at every alert right when it comes in, but when your wrist buzzes it quickly becomes habit to glance quickly.

As with any technology, it is the responsibility of the user to exercise common courtesy and logic. This isn't a slam on the Pebble. It is, however, a side effect I did not consider beforehand.