Introduction to UX Research & Product Inclusion on Wear OS

Google Design2023-05-22

material#design#google#designers#wear os#ux research#smartwatches#product inclusion

2K views|1 years ago

💫 Short Summary

Designing smartwatch apps requires a unique approach focused on providing value, simplicity, and respect for users' attention. The Double Diamond process, foundational research, and user engagement are crucial. Solutions must be evaluated, tested with representative users, and developed through co-design to prioritize user involvement and equity, particularly with marginalized communities. The key message is understanding user needs, behaviors, and motivations to create successful smartwatch apps.

✨ Highlights

📊 Transcript

✦

Designing smartwatch apps for short interaction bursts requires a unique approach.

00:59

Focus should be on providing unique value to the smartwatch user, not just shrinking phone apps.

Smartwatch apps should be simple, glanceable, and respectful of users' limited attention.

The Double Diamond process aids in product development, with foundational research being crucial to understanding user needs.

Research methods include engaging with users from diverse backgrounds to uncover preferences and pain points, and understanding user behavior and motivations is key to creating successful smartwatch apps.

✦

Importance of Developing Solutions Based on Foundation Research

02:41

Various methods like workshops, concept testing, and co-design are highlighted to involve a diverse range of users.

Evaluating generated solutions before release and testing with representative users is emphasized.

Research outside the lab, particularly in smartwatch testing, is crucial.

Co-design is presented as a research methodology focusing on inclusive product development, particularly with historically marginalized communities.

00:00foreign

00:01[Music]

00:10hi I'm Matthew and hi I'm Mallory we're

00:14researchers at Google working on wear OS

00:16Google Smartwatch operating system

00:19today we're going to talk about how to

00:21conduct better user research when

00:22designing a smartwatch app

00:24let's start with some of the basics

00:26about smart watches

00:28smart watches are used for many things

00:29from tracking your physical activity or

00:31sleep to receiving and responding to

00:33notifications and a range of other tasks

00:35throughout the day

00:37what makes designing for Smartwatch is

00:38different is that they're used for many

00:40short bursts of interaction compared to

00:42smartphones the average Smartwatch

00:44session is 5 Seconds long compared to an

00:46average phone session of 3 minutes and

00:4852 seconds this means that both design

00:50and research must be approached

00:52differently for smart watches when

00:53thinking about designing for smart

00:55watches the aim is not to Simply make

00:57your phone app smaller and place it on

00:59people's wrists the goal is to truly

01:01understand what value your app could

01:03bring to the smartwatch

01:05unlike many other devices people tend to

01:07be doing something else when they engage

01:08with their watch

01:10Smartwatch apps need to respect that

01:11people may not be giving them their full

01:13attention and they need to be designed

01:14accordingly simple and glanceable let's

01:18use navigating while cycling as an

01:20example

01:21users may want to see the upcoming turns

01:23on their wrists but their focus is and

01:25should be on cycling and arriving at

01:27their destination safely a great

01:29Smartwatch app helps users with their

01:31primary tasks while minimizing any

01:33distraction that could impact it there

01:35are various types of research in the

01:36product development life cycle

01:38to illustrate this better we will use

01:40the Double Diamond process

01:42for illustrative purposes this process

01:44may appear linear however in reality you

01:46may be switching between each of these

01:48diamonds

01:49new insights and requirements May emerge

01:51that shift your strategy so in fact it

01:53may not be linear at all

01:54foundational research is right at the

01:56beginning and the first diamond the aim

01:59is to really understand what the problem

02:01space is and how your wear OS app can

02:04help your target audience

02:05imagine you're working on a media app

02:07for wear OS

02:08you may conduct foundational research

02:10such as understanding how and why people

02:13listen to Media this could involve

02:15engaging with Runners observing or

02:17interviewing them or finding people who

02:19use music as motivation while at the gym

02:22or on their daily commute

02:23we recommend interviewing Runners from

02:26different backgrounds and cultures to

02:28see how their needs May differ

02:30you want to understand what tools they

02:32currently use what their pain points are

02:34and why they decide to take specific

02:36actions in particular moments the next

02:39phase is developing and delivering

02:41Solutions this part really builds upon

02:44your foundation research

02:45there are a variety of ways to do this

02:47for example through workshops concept

02:49testing or co-design using a workout

02:52scenario you can involve runners in

02:53cities runs from rural areas and run us

02:56on different ages and genders to ensure

02:58the solution addresses a broad range of

03:00needs in an upcoming video we'll be

03:02talking about how to take an equity

03:03focused approach to co-design when

03:05working with historically marginalized

03:07users in the product design life cycle

03:09lastly we evaluate generated Solutions

03:11and prepare the app for release

03:13you should also test with people who are

03:15representative of those you're building

03:17for

03:17with werewolves many other problems and

03:20subsequent Solutions are so contextual

03:22that it is important to conduct the

03:24majority of your research outside of the

03:25lab while situated Smartwatch testing

03:28may add some complexities when planning

03:30research study the insights will ensure

03:32that you're building the right solution

03:33for your target audience

03:35let's think about how we can help inform

03:37project requirements even further a

03:39great way to ensure that we develop

03:40design solutions that are easy to use

03:42and provide value is to co-design

03:45Solutions with users

03:46co-design is a research methodology that

03:49consists of Hands-On co-creation of user

03:51interfaces and interactions with

03:53potential users

03:55Community co-design brings an equity

03:57focused lens to product development and

03:59focuses on Building Solutions with not

04:02for historically marginalized

04:03communities

04:04we will talk about this in more detail

04:06in the upcoming video

04:09to recap a variety of research is needed

04:12throughout the product development life

04:14cycle for smart watches it is important

04:16to test in context and lastly lean into

04:19co-design to ensure that products are

04:21inclusive

04:23we have linked to additional resources

04:24below please check out more videos in

04:26this series thank you for listening

04:30[Music]

04:34foreign

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