I picked this project as it was my most recent piece of work so I felt it gave a good insight into my current process and abilities as a designer. It offers unique insights into how I work within constraints, these being both physical and and time constraints.
Module: 301 Content Design
Timeframe: 3 Weeks
Create a smart watch application with at least 3 screens.
Creating an application for a smart watch can be difficult due to the devices constraints, pair this with a short deadline and you get a project that demands you to think quick and take initiative. I had to: Design within major constraints.Make it genuinely useful. Find a market that fits the format. Get it done quickly.
Before starting, I looked at three apps: Strava, Rise, and Todoist. Even though they’re for different things, they all design with context in mind, how, where, and when people use them.
Strava works because you can use it mid-run. Rise ties into your sleep cycle. Todoist makes everyday organisation simple.
What they share is a focus on usefulness and a clear sense of identity. They fit naturally into people’s routines. That made me think about how my own app could do the same.
I started by thinking about what makes a smartwatch useful, it’s quick, simple, and built around time. That led me to an idea from my own life. When I was in a long-distance relationship, time zones were a constant headache. We’d always miss each other by an hour or two. I realised that frustration could be the core of something bigger.
I checked Google Trends and found that lots of people search for time differences, so it’s not just me. That’s where the idea for Horizone came from: an app that helps people make the most of their shared time across time zones.