Wear OS Phone App

“Immediate Adoption of Core Improvement Proposals”

Results

3 tiers of update options presented to Google, each with opportunities for brand customization to elevate the app beyond a glorified connection status indicator. Google immediately investigated all Tier 1 improvements and the watch face feature from Tier 2 with plans to implement the other proposals as time allowed.

Task | Redesign For Google

Upon Google’s request, propose updates to the Wear OS companion phone app to increase usage, improve design parity, and please fashion brands.

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Challenges

  • Build upon existing layout, not redesign it completely.

  • Incorporate new and missing features.

  • Improve association between branded devices and the general Wear OS app.

  • Maintain iOS and Android parity.

 

After conducting interviews with current users and brand teams, as well as discussing development requirements with engineers, 3 levels of desirable personalization and improvement formalized:

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Tier 1 | App Updates

Overview: Basic functionality improvements.

  1. Status bar only appears when there is an issue (i.e. disconnected).

  2. Fit data available on iOS for parity with the Android app.

Estimated Effort: 2-3 Weeks

 
Portfolio2020_WebsiteScreens_CompanionApp.jpg

Tier 2 | Branding

Overview: Customization of generic elements.

  1. Identify brand with logo and font.

  2. Control app background colors.

  3. Watch face preview and selection tool.

  • Includes Tier 1 Features.

Estimated Effort: 5-6 Weeks

 
Portfolio2020_WebsiteScreens_CompanionApp.jpg

Tier 3 | Marketing

Overview: Supplemental features to increase engagement.

  1. Allow for frequent, external updates to content to encourage engagement.

  2. Enable brand resources – ads, sales, and direct links to brand websites.

  • Includes Tier 1 & 2 Features.

Estimated Effort: 8-10 Weeks