Smartwatch App Experience Reimagined

In adherence to my non-disclosure agreement, I have excluded and concealed confidential information within this case study

CONTEXT

CONTEXT

CONTEXT

CONTEXT

Redesigning the app to bridge gap between user mental models and actual experience

boAt, a renowned consumer electronics brand since 2014, has made waves with its stylish and budget-friendly wireless audio products and smartwatches. However, they faced criticism for app’s complex navigation and lack of discoverability of features. We redesigned the app to ensure that the experience align with users mental model & connect emotionally with the product.

boAt, a renowned consumer electronics brand since 2014, has made waves with its stylish and budget-friendly wireless audio products and smartwatches. However, they faced criticism for app’s complex navigation and lack of discoverability of features. We redesigned the app to ensure that the experience align with users mental model & connect emotionally with the product.

boAt, a renowned consumer electronics brand since 2014, has made waves with its stylish and budget-friendly wireless audio products and smartwatches. However, they faced criticism for app’s complex navigation and lack of discoverability of features. We redesigned the app to ensure that the experience align with users mental model & connect emotionally with the product.

MY ROLE

Lead UX UI Designer

TEAM

2 UX Designers

2 UI Designers

1 Product Manager

TIMELINE

Jan 2023 - Jun 2023

Key Challenges

Poor discoverability of the core features and functionalities

EXAMPLE

User should navigate to profile to edit step goal as they couldn’t find it in step detail page, resulting in user frustration and inaccessibility of features.

User should navigate to profile to edit step goal as they couldn’t find it in step detail page, resulting in user frustration and inaccessibility of features.

Redundancy in user flows

EXAMPLE

Users are forced to add personal details which is not required to use the app, in turn resulting in higher drop-off rates

Users are forced to add personal details which is not required to use the app, in turn resulting in higher drop-off rates

Lack of emotional connect in visual design

EXAMPLE

Non-contextual UI elements with outdated design styles makes the app boring and causes confusion leading to subpar experience.

Non-contextual UI elements with outdated design styles makes the app boring and causes confusion leading to subpar experience.

Limited actions for users within the community

EXAMPLE

Users could only invite and nudge their “buddies” (phone contacts) to complete daily goals, resulting in reduced app usage

Users could only invite and nudge their “buddies” (phone contacts) to complete daily goals, resulting in reduced app usage

Poor discoverability of the core features and functionalities

EXAMPLE

User should navigate to profile to edit step goal as they couldn’t find it in step detail page, resulting in user frustration and inaccessibility of features.

Redundancy in user flows

EXAMPLE

Users are forced to add personal details which is not required to use the app, in turn resulting in higher drop-off rates

Lack of emotional connect in visual design

EXAMPLE

Non-contextual UI elements with outdated design styles makes the app boring and causes confusion leading to subpar experience.

Limited actions for users within the community

EXAMPLE

Users could only invite and nudge their “buddies” (phone contacts) to complete daily goals, resulting in reduced app usage

Poor discoverability of the core features and functionalities

EXAMPLE

User should navigate to profile to edit step goal as they couldn’t find it in step detail page, resulting in user frustration and inaccessibility of features.

Redundancy in user flows

EXAMPLE

Users are forced to add personal details which is not required to use the app, in turn resulting in higher drop-off rates

Lack of emotional connect in visual design

EXAMPLE

Non-contextual UI elements with outdated design styles makes the app boring and causes confusion leading to subpar experience.

Limited actions for users within the community

EXAMPLE

Users could only invite and nudge their “buddies” (phone contacts) to complete daily goals, resulting in reduced app usage

Poor discoverability of the core features and functionalities

EXAMPLE

User should navigate to profile to edit step goal as they couldn’t find it in step detail page, resulting in user frustration and inaccessibility of features.

Redundancy in user flows

EXAMPLE

Users are forced to add personal details which is not required to use the app, in turn resulting in higher drop-off rates

Lack of emotional connect in visual design

EXAMPLE

Non-contextual UI elements with outdated design styles makes the app boring and causes confusion leading to subpar experience.

Limited actions for users within the community

EXAMPLE

Users could only invite and nudge their “buddies” (phone contacts) to complete daily goals, resulting in reduced app usage

Poor discoverability of the core features and functionalities

EXAMPLE

User should navigate to profile to edit step goal as they couldn’t find it in step detail page, resulting in user frustration and inaccessibility of features.

Redundancy in user flows

EXAMPLE

Users are forced to add personal details which is not required to use the app, in turn resulting in higher drop-off rates

Lack of emotional connect in visual design

EXAMPLE

Non-contextual UI elements with outdated design styles makes the app boring and causes confusion leading to subpar experience.

Limited actions for users within the community

EXAMPLE

Users could only invite and nudge their “buddies” (phone contacts) to complete daily goals, resulting in reduced app usage

BUSINESS GOAL

BUSINESS GOAL

BUSINESS GOAL

BUSINESS GOAL

What is business objective behind redesign

1

1

1

1

Increase user engagement and retention

2

2

2

2

Establish app as a fitness companion

3

3

3

3

Increase brand loyalty and market share

INITIAL PROBLEM STATEMENT

How can we make app as a reliable fitness companion and improve engagement?

SECONDARY RESEARCH

SECONDARY RESEARCH

SECONDARY RESEARCH

SECONDARY RESEARCH

Heuristics Evaluation and UX Audit

We identified various usability issues that violates heuristics principles. Additionally, audited the entire app to understand the user flows to perform key tasks in the app

Competitor Analysis

We determined competitors includes Noise, Fitbit, Samsung & Apple and few industry leaders to analyse their features, user flows, accessibility, personalisation, gamification, social aspect & information hierarchy.

We determined competitors includes Noise, Fitbit, Samsung & Apple and few industry leaders to analyse their features, user flows, accessibility, personalisation, gamification, social aspect & information hierarchy.

USER RESEARCH

USER RESEARCH

USER RESEARCH

USER RESEARCH

Understanding the User

With user interviews to gain qualitative insights into users’ usage patterns, goals, and pain points. This helped in creating distinct user personas which provided a clear understanding of user needs and behaviours, guiding our design decisions towards creating tailored solutions.

Fitness Enthusiast

Health and fitness play a significant role in their daily routine. They invest in a smartwatch to track preferred vitals and activities, seeking real-time health insights optimize their fitness regimen

Technophile

They possess a keen interest in exploring new technology, they enjoy personalizing their smartwatch features, including watch faces and vital tracking, to align with their dynamic lifestyles.

Fashion Fanatic

They view their smartwatch as a fashion accessory and enjoy showcasing how the product enhances their lifestyle, blending fashion and functionality seamlessly.

GOALS

GOALS

GOALS

GOALS

Aligning the business and user goals

BUSINESS GOALS

1

1

1

1

Increase user engagement and retention

2

2

2

2

Establish app as a fitness companion

3

3

3

3

Increase brand loyalty and market share

USER GOALS

1

1

1

1

Track and monitor fitness progress

2

2

2

2

Customize app interface and watch faces

3

3

3

3

Engage within supportive community

REFINED PROBLEM STATEMENT

How can we improve the fitness feature discoverability of the app and provide personalised experience?

DEFINE

DEFINE

DEFINE

DEFINE

Information Architecture

With research insights, we conducted a card sorting activity to categorize the features into logical groups which led a ground to build robust information architecture that focused on improving discoverability of the features and functionalities.

With research insights, we conducted a card sorting activity to categorize the features into logical groups which led a ground to build robust information architecture that focused on improving discoverability of the features and functionalities.

Redesigned

Existing

Redesigned

Existing

Redesigned

Existing

Redesigned

Existing

Redesigned

Existing

Redesigned

Existing

Wireframes

We created sketches to set structure and designed high fidelity wireframes which served as the skeletal framework of the app, outlining the placement of key elements and features to focus solely on functionality and user flow. This enabled us to refine the user flows and get feedback on structure of the application.

We created sketches to set structure and designed high fidelity wireframes which served as the skeletal framework of the app, outlining the placement of key elements and features to focus solely on functionality and user flow. This enabled us to refine the user flows and get feedback on structure of the application.

FINAL DESIGN

FINAL DESIGN

FINAL DESIGN

FINAL DESIGN

Visual Direction

Explored multiple visual direction, refining it to enhance context and intuitiveness. This led to the create a combination of widget + free-flowing design, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience.

Explored multiple visual direction, refining it to enhance context and intuitiveness. This led to the create a combination of widget + free-flowing design, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience.

Final Version

Iteration

Final Version

Iteration

Final Version

Iteration

Final Version

Iteration

Final Version

Iteration

Final Version

Iteration

Visual elements that connects emotionally

Built a scalable design system with 100+ meticulously crafted components, including typography styles, icons, colors, and illustrations. This saves time and reduces technical debt and improves consistency over the product's lifecycle.

Built a scalable design system with 100+ meticulously crafted components, including typography styles, icons, colors, and illustrations. This saves time and reduces technical debt and improves consistency over the product's lifecycle.

Positioning app as a reliable fitness companion

We redesigned the dashboard to give holistic view of vitals, and provided multiple entry points to improve features discoverability.

To further increase value addition, designed dedicated screens for each vitals which showcase activity data, accompanied by informative graphs and actionable insights to enhance users' their fitness journey.

We redesigned the dashboard to give holistic view of vitals, and provided multiple entry points to improve features discoverability.

To further increase value addition, designed dedicated screens for each vitals which showcase activity data, accompanied by informative graphs and actionable insights to enhance users' their fitness journey.

Empowering users to personalise their watch faces

Introduced an ‘Build Your Watch Face’ feature, where users can craft every elements of watch face from a diverse library. This enabled users to tailor watch faces to resonate their unique style, preferences, and requirements.

Additionally, we added collection of 30+ new watch faces and categorized them thematically for easy navigation.

Introduced an ‘Build Your Watch Face’ feature, where users can craft every elements of watch face from a diverse library. This enabled users to tailor watch faces to resonate their unique style, preferences, and requirements.

Additionally, we added collection of 30+ new watch faces and categorized them thematically for easy navigation.

Gamification to increase community engagement

Revamped the ‘Buddies’ feature by allowing users to participate in brand-led challenges to earn badges and boAt Coins, redeemable for boAt products. Additionally, enhanced the leaderboard by ranking users both among buddies and globally, motivating users and keeping them engaged.
Revamped the ‘Buddies’ feature by allowing users to participate in brand-led challenges to earn badges and boAt Coins, redeemable for boAt products. Additionally, enhanced the leaderboard by ranking users both among buddies and globally, motivating users and keeping them engaged.
Revamped the ‘Buddies’ feature by allowing users to participate in brand-led challenges to earn badges and boAt Coins, redeemable for boAt products. Additionally, enhanced the leaderboard by ranking users both among buddies and globally, motivating users and keeping them engaged.
Revamped the ‘Buddies’ feature by allowing users to participate in brand-led challenges to earn badges and boAt Coins, redeemable for boAt products. Additionally, enhanced the leaderboard by ranking users both among buddies and globally, motivating users and keeping them engaged.
Revamped the ‘Buddies’ feature by allowing users to participate in brand-led challenges to earn badges and boAt Coins, redeemable for boAt products. Additionally, enhanced the leaderboard by ranking users both among buddies and globally, motivating users and keeping them engaged.

Launching segment-first feature

We launched several segment-first features in multiple phases, including Sense AI (cricket activity tracker), Custom Reminder, Alarm, Live Match Score, Female Wellness Tracker; to enhance the overall user experience and integrate the product into users' lifestyles.

We launched several segment-first features in multiple phases, including Sense AI (cricket activity tracker), Custom Reminder, Alarm, Live Match Score, Female Wellness Tracker; to enhance the overall user experience and integrate the product into users' lifestyles.

We launched several segment-first features in multiple phases, including Sense AI (cricket activity tracker), Custom Reminder, Alarm, Live Match Score, Female Wellness Tracker; to enhance the overall user experience and integrate the product into users' lifestyles.

We launched several segment-first features in multiple phases, including Sense AI (cricket activity tracker), Custom Reminder, Alarm, Live Match Score, Female Wellness Tracker; to enhance the overall user experience and integrate the product into users' lifestyles.

We launched several segment-first features in multiple phases, including Sense AI (cricket activity tracker), Custom Reminder, Alarm, Live Match Score, Female Wellness Tracker; to enhance the overall user experience and integrate the product into users' lifestyles.

TESTING

TESTING

TESTING

TESTING

TESTING

User Acceptance Testing

Conducted moderated User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to validate the new designs, identifying any design and development gaps. This allowed us to explore opportunities for improvement, ensuring that the designs are intuitive and align with users' mental models

Impact of Redesign

We launched the redesign in multiple phases over 3 weeks, and following were the impact 3 months after launch

1

Play Store Rating

Increase in Play Store rating from 2.5 to 4.6 stars

2

App Downloads

3

Positive Reviews

Impact of Redesign

We launched the redesign in multiple phases over 3 weeks, and following were the impact 3 months after launch

1

Play Store Rating

Increase in Play Store rating from 2.5 to 4.6 stars

2

App Downloads

3

Positive Reviews

Impact of Redesign

We launched the redesign in multiple phases over 3 weeks, and following were the impact 3 months after launch

1

Play Store Rating

Increase in Play Store rating from 2.5 to 4.6 stars

2

App Downloads

Increase in app downloads by 5X times

3

Positive Reviews

Overwhelming number of positive reviews

Impact of Redesign

We launched the redesign in multiple phases over 3 weeks, and following were the impact 3 months after launch

1

Play Store Rating

Increase in Play Store rating from 2.5 to 4.6 stars

2

App Downloads

3

Positive Reviews

Impact of Redesign

We launched the redesign in multiple phases over 3 weeks, and following were the impact 3 months after launch

1

Play Store Rating

Increase in Play Store rating from 2.5 to 4.6 stars

2

App Downloads

Increase in app downloads by 5X times

3

Positive Reviews

Overwhelming number of positive reviews

Impact of Redesign

We launched the redesign in multiple phases over 3 weeks, and following were the impact 3 months after launch

1

Play Store Rating

Increase in Play Store rating from 2.5 to 4.6 stars

2

App Downloads

Increase in app downloads by 5X times

3

Positive Reviews

Overwhelming number of positive reviews

Learnings

Collaboration for optimization

Once I understood tech constraints. It forced me to think out of the box solutions without disrupting backend architecture to provide an optimal experience.

Once I understood tech constraints. It forced me to think out of the box solutions without disrupting backend architecture to provide an optimal experience.

Once I understood tech constraints. It forced me to think out of the box solutions without disrupting backend architecture to provide an optimal experience.

Once I understood tech constraints. It forced me to think out of the box solutions without disrupting backend architecture to provide an optimal experience.

Once I understood tech constraints. It forced me to think out of the box solutions without disrupting backend architecture to provide an optimal experience.

Testing and iteration

Conducting alpha and beta tests in each stage of the project provided diverse perspectives and sped up the process.

Conducting alpha and beta tests in each stage of the project provided diverse perspectives and sped up the process.

Conducting alpha and beta tests in each stage of the project provided diverse perspectives and sped up the process.

Conducting alpha and beta tests in each stage of the project provided diverse perspectives and sped up the process.

Conducting alpha and beta tests in each stage of the project provided diverse perspectives and sped up the process.

Phased MVP launches

With MVPs, refined and features based on feedback, facilitating smoother development and bug fixes.

With MVPs, refined and features based on feedback, facilitating smoother development and bug fixes.

Future Considerations

Feedback implementation

While high priority (P0) feedback from the UAT are implemented, further P1 and P2 feedback should be implemented in future updated

While high priority (P0) feedback from the UAT are implemented, further P1 and P2 feedback should be implemented in future updated

Follow the design principles

The product roadmap should adhere to established design principles to ensure a consistent and improved user experience.

Design for accessibility

Incorporate accessibility features such as light mode, screen reader, and adjustable font sizes improves inclusivity and usability.

Incorporate accessibility features such as light mode, screen reader, and adjustable font sizes improves inclusivity and usability.

More Works

Introduction

Problems

Research

Define

Final Designs

Impact