Typography

Based on the designs that I had sketched for my smartwatch app, i wanted to establish a typeface that fitted well with what I hoped my design to look like. The smartwatch is modern, so I felt that a sans-serif type was suitable. The app is purposed to show singular and important information only, therefore I also wanted a typeface that was bold but also legible.

The image on the right shows some of the typefaces that I had originally tried out with as I thought they could be good suitable options. The last two typefaces were very condensed, which I thought made it slightly more difficult to read. The second typeface was sharp and not as bold as I wanted, so I opted for the first typeface. Nunito is a sans-serif typeface. It is very rounded, which makes it appear both friendly and modern. It is part of a large set of fonts, so many weights helped making good hierarchy without requiring to change sizing. Space is very limited in a watch, so this was a big aid to avoid this issue.

Colour

After trying out a range of colour choices, I decided to stay with a blue and red colour palette. Below is a few of the first palettes that I chose and how they look when applied to a screen. Although I thought that the blue and yellow screen looked good for a screen, I did not think that it fitted very well with the purpose of the app. The app is to be used in crucial times of emergency. Red is usually associated with this, so I tried to keep this colour very prominent in the design. I used blue as my other primary colour as I thought it really emphasised and complimented the red. I thought that with the green colour, it did not fit the meaning of the app as well because it reminds me more of colours used in festive celebrations.

Sizing and Margin

Sizing is a huge problem that I have had issues with in any previous designs of smartwatches. This is because smartwatches have a very small screen area, which means not much content can be fitted. Therefore, I tried researching what the sizing for text is on an apple watch. I was not able to find the exact point sizing for it, but I tried my best to make a guess by seeing a range of images of apple watch’s design.

All text through the all of the screen was kept consistently at 12pt. The font is changed to create better hierarchy, so that it is easier to read for the audience. Legibility is a key element in my design idea, so I wanted to ensure that this was not an issue.

Apart form the sizing of the text, I also ensured to keep a good margin. When doing my research, I encountered that the margin of an apple watch is at a set size as the corners of this device is rounded. This means that content is often cut out if there is not enough margin. I ensured to keep a desirable and consistent margin though all the screens.

Class Feedback

On week three we had a critique where we showcased our idea and our designs to the class in order to receive feedback from the tutor and our classmates too. It was very inspiring to see everyone’s designs and the ideas that they were able to come up with. Overall, I owld say that I have received quite good feedback on my design. Design choices had been validated to be good and effective for their purpose. However, it was pointed out that the idea itself could be further thought into and would be able to expand on it. It was stated that the app could be used in a broader sense to aid anyone with any condition when in need, not necessarily for substances. If this feedback were to go forward, it was suggested that a screen with “assistance on the way” would be a very good addition. The screen with the graph and the prompt asking how the person is feeling, was said to be very unnecessary. It was stated that this is not something that is needed as people who are in need would not have time to stop and take any of his information in. Therefore, I should remove this whole screen and replace with something different.

Refinements