Apple.inc produced a line of smartwatches called the Apple Watch in April, 2015.  Since then, it has produced the second generation and third generation versions of the Apple watch called the Series 2 and Series 3 respectively.

Though the Apple Watch was seen initially as a novelty device, which provided little practical incentive for purchase, aside from the draw of the Apple brand, design thinking can be seen to have been effectively used through the course of the watch’s evolution to create a great user experience.

A standout feature of the Apple watch is its Volume Control.  Ordinarily, if a user has to adjust the audio levels in their earphones as they walked along, this would normally consist of trying to get the phone out of a bag or pocket.  By implementing design thinking, the crown on the apple watch can be rotated upwards to increase the volume or downwards to do the opposite.

Though the Apple watch has evolved to have a number of useful features, this feature highlights a clear use case whereby Apple designers have observed the user, and proceeded to bridge the gap between novelty and utility, by enabling subtle changes in behaviour, that is simple and intuitive, making for a better user experience.

Written: March 31, 2018