Smart Watch Interaction Design
Master and Commander
Smart Watch
Myself
I wanted to make sure that my interest was kept throughout the project. I chose to do a watch because of this interest I've had in the design of analog machines. My goal was to take things that were standards at some point in time and blend that with modern technology. I used this project as a way of exploring ideas that I felt are maybe a bit unconventional for more traditional projects. I aimed to create something that felt as long lasting as products used to be. I created everything for this project. Including branding, industrial design, textures, and UI.
My goal wasn't to create something that felt like the industrial design and the UI design worked together. I didn't want to create 1,000 different faces. The face would be designed for the case and vice versa. I started out by creating a short list of features. The watch shouldn't be so feature rich that it dominates our attention, but I also wanted to limit the scope because I'm a single person.
I created a few simple screens to showcase the design style of the watch. I wanted the design to slightly resemble real life. I used shadows and unique watch hands to make each interface feel achievable in some weird world. Due to minimal buttons on the case the interaction is limited to a touch screen. The crown would be used to move between apps. A click of the crown would return users to their home screen.
Dive watches include a bezel that at one point in time was used to track a person's dive time below water. Today dive computers have replaced most situations where a watch would be needed. In a case where a watch is brought along on a dive they are normally used as backups only. I didn't want the bezel to be an empty function that no longer serves a purpose. I decided to make it a more convenient way to add a timer to your watch. Reviving an old use.
Since the project is inspired by mechanical technology, I needed the brand to fit that same message. I used A.I. restored videos of city streets from 1960s America to take a look at signage and brand logos that were not used to seeing every day. I feel like so many companies have gone the route of removing identity from their branding. My goal was to do the exact opposite.
Making the mark is half of the puzzle. I was able to find a few ways to communicate that message with the logo in the UI and on the physical watch itself.
When I was in school I attempted to 3D model a car dashboard for one of my projects. It turned out to be really interesting to me. Ever since then, I've had an interest in industrial design. This was my very first attempt at creating a 3D model, adding textures, and rendering it. I did go through a ton of iterations until I feel like I got it right, but it is something that I'm proud I was able to accomplish for this project.
Email: Braedenalanmiller@gmail.com
Phone: 909_362_2671