Jess Hamilton's Closing Keynote at the Mobile Web Developers Conference, July 2015.

1. wearableux
jess hamilton, sr. ux designer @ gopro

2. wearables
are the future of tech

3. as of late 2014,
over 20% of adults
own a wearable device
source: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/publications/wearable-technology.jhtml

4. over 80% of adults
are familiar with the concept
source: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/publications/wearable-technology.jhtml

5. Text
following the law of accelerating returns,
that number is only going up — fast
source: http://vandrico.com/blog/how-wearable-technology-will-change-our-lives

6. with this kind of adoption,
the market will become
saturated

7. and only the strong will survive

8. Just look at Activity Trackers
Wikipedia lists over 20 different devices on the “Activity
Tracker” page
One of the earliest of the trend (the original FitBit)
launched around 2009
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity_tracker#Producers_and_products

9. Just look at Activity Trackers
Wikipedia lists over 20 different devices on the “Activity
Tracker” page
One of the earliest of the trend (the original FitBit)
launched around 2009
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity_tracker#Producers_and_products

11. in just six years
many have already failed
(R.I.P. FitBit Force, Nike FuelBand and all the unfunded Kickstarter trackers)

12. 50% of users stop wearing
(15% of them within the first 6 months)
source: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/wearables-have-a-dirty-little-secret-most-people-lose-interest/

13. why?
Fatal UX flaws:
They are easy to lose
They break
They're not waterproof
They're a pain to sync with your smartphone
The battery doesn't last long enough
They're ugly
They're uncomfortable to wear
They provide no material benefit
source: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/wearables-have-a-dirty-little-secret-most-people-lose-interest/

14. why?
Lack of compulsion for long-term use through:
Habit formation
Social motivation
Goal reinforcement

16. what can we learn
from these flaws and failures?

17. a good user experience
is the key to survival

18. what makes “good ux?”
Does this give me value?
Is it easy to use?
Is it pleasant to use?
source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/05/what-is-user-experience-design-overview-tools-and-resources/

19. - Douglas Atkin, AirBnB
“In the distant future, we’ll forget the idea of
engaging in technology at all. We’ll swallow it,
absorb it, and wear it, without us really thinking
we’re engaging in technology per se.”
source: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/publications/wearable-technology.jhtml

20. new questions to ask
Is it invisible?
Is it essential?
Is it complementary?

21. 82% of millennials agree:
it’s important for wearable tech
to help relieve stress
source: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/technology/publications/wearable-technology.jhtml

22. the good news:
we are all ux designers

23. dev can improve ux
pay attention to the silent killers:
app responsiveness
server response time
appropriate technology, e.g. for pairing and device
communication
code quality and bugginess

24. and don’t stay silent if something doesn’t seem right.

25. but most of all
eat your own dogfood

27. user experience design
will help you survive
wearables
are the future of tech

28. thank you!