Project Info
Role UX Design Intern
Tool Figma
Time 1.5 Months
Employer Xiaomi
Product Type Wearable Tech
Product Launched Q1 2022
Intern Project | 2021
Fitness Watch
UX/UI Design
Project Brief
This is a 10 week intern project I done at Xiaomi. As a UX designer for a smartwatch product, I collaborated on user interface design, conducted usability tests, and finished tons of variations. Many of the features we designed has successfully appeared in the final product launched.
During the process, I could always switch mindsets to fit new situations with new PMs, making me one of the most flexible and versatile individual in the team.
Project Calendar
Goal
Xiaomi is a hardware tech company with over 500+ million MAU across the globe. It has all kinds of products range from phones, smartwatches, to smart home IoTs, all at an affordable price. In 2021, smartwatch shipments reached 27 million units, with a global market share of 15%, second only to Apple.
Our team is responsible to refine and update the user flow and interface of Watch Apps in the upcoming models. We hope to deliver a more dynamic user experience through visually appealing watch interface design.
Tasks
Below showcases 3 major tasks that I worked on during the internship.
01 | Watch Crown UX Interaction
02 | Watch App UI Guideline
03 | Cross Device UX Solutions
Task 01
Watch Crown Interaction
The watch crown plays an important role in the interaction of smart watches. People who covet smart watches enjoyed turning the crown and wait for magic to appear on the screen. We hope to explore more dynamic use of the watch crown to its full extension.
Introduce a more dynamic Period App through the interaction with watch crown.
Why this feature?
Period greatly impacts the mental and physical well-beings of female users. Many female users hope to take a glimpse of their period data on their wrist. However, most period calendars on watches are static, whereas other watches with round shape hardwares decided to pair up rectangular shape calendars. When the interface design does not go along with the hardware features, it's harder for users to grasp period information.
Our Audience
Nearly 80% of our female users are around age 15-35, which period tracking is a crucial part of their physical and mental well-beings. Among users surveyed, most implied that they care a lot about their period cycle since it's a signifier of their health situation.
Context & Needs
* Period prediction is an important feature. Many users implied that the upcoming period will greatly affect their travel, workout, drug prescription, and pregnancy plans.
* The prediction time frame could be up to 30+ days. Many users use a phone App to store period data. Because Apple watch does not hold a monthly calendar for prediction, while the period Apps of Xiaomi and Huawei watches are hard to manipulate in their static calendar.
Solution
To address this issue, we introduced a dynamic calendar in the Period App. Users can access the period forecast for any day in the next 30 days by simply rotating the crown, while the period forecasting will appear in the center of the screen.
Wireframes
Prototype
This enhancement makes a great use of both the notion of calendar and the watch crown. It provides users with a more playful way of interaction while grasps important health info at the same time.
User Scenario
This enhancement makes a great use of both the notion of calendar and the watch crown. It provides users with a more playful way of interaction while grasps important health info at the same time.
Color Theme
This enhancement makes a great use of both the notion of calendar and the watch crown. It provides users with a more playful way of interaction while grasps important health info at the same time.
Final Product
A huge leap over the past versions. Our team made this proposal in Q4 2021, and finally it was implemented in the Model S2 Pro released on Xiaomi’s official website in Q3 2023.
Task 02
App Interface
Guideline Design
A clear and organized UI interface guideline is crucial for a well designed watch visual system. It improve business goals by enhancing user experience, brand consistency, and customer engagement. They reduce development and support costs, improve scalability, and can provide a competitive edge in the market.
Update Health Apps through well-organized interface UI design.
Why this feature?
Health App is one of the most frequently used App in smart fitness watch. It contains various interface design features, include widgets, title and text, buttons and graphs. An update in this feature will create larger impacts.
In this task, we examine the previous models with a focus on formats, layouts, and user interaction. Apps that we revised include Heart Rate, Stress Level, Breathe, and Period Tracking, each meticulously fine-tuned to align with advanced UX strategies.
Competitor Research
We conducted extensive competitive research, meticulously scrutinizing the page designs and interaction logic employed by prominent brands such as Apple, Fitbit, Huawei, Garmin, and others within the realm of health apps.
Our Audience
70% of our user are male and 78% of our users are at age between 15 and 35. Most our users interact with watch at school, during work, or in the gym. As a very energetic group of people, they hope to grasp information by taking one glance during workouts and group meetings. So that they have an updated knowledge on any current events and data.
Insights from UXR and Usability Testing
* Users encountered difficulties when navigating the watch page design, particularly when seeking specific information, highlighting the need for improved information hierarchy and intuitive navigation paths.
* Users expressed confusion with the presentation of data, particularly in graphs. Improving data visualization and making peak values more prominent would enhance user understanding and engagement.
Solution
Harmonizing Interface Guideline
Previously, Xiaomi watches emulated the left-aligned UI design of Apple, though it contradicted the hardware's circular dial. We introduced the central symmetry interface design which guarantees that user won't encounter truncated title content due to rounded corners when scrolling, ultimately enhancing the visual experience.
Wireframes
Prototype
Final Product
We're glad to see how our design ideas and iteration suggestions have well appeared on the final products. Up to the end of 2023, 3 models have implemented our design for fitness Apps.
Below is the Heart Rate App upgrade for model S1 and model S1 Pro released by Xiaomi’s official website in Q1 2022.
Task 03
Enhancements on
Myriad Features
Part of our goal is to build a more competitive product with features that enhance work and life efficiency of our users. We worked with product managers and compiled an exhaustive checklist that encompassed all conceivable feature enhancements for the upcoming version.
New Features Implemented
Below are some of the features I proposed that appears in the final product release. I didn't get to participate in the UI design, I only drafted possible solutions before my internship ends.
View your photo taken without having to check it repetitively on the phone. If you're taking a photo with your phone set up far away, simply check your watch to see the outcome.
Cross device connection to improve efficiency. When a frequently used app pops up on the watch at a certain time, the mobile phone will also provide synchronous feedback. When exercising at home, display exercise data on the TV.
More data tracking function in fitness App. Count the number of back and forth when swimming in the swimming pool.
Support cross device interconnection and share fitness data.
When user clicks to complete a workout on the watch, a reminder will pop up on the mobile phone to guide the user to view and share a more complete exercise report.
Set health data thresholds and add warning mechanisms. When user's location exceeds the set altitude, the warning system linkage blood oxygen App will be activated and friendly reminds the user to monitor their blood pressure condition.
Let users have expectations about the reading time and page length. Add a side split-screen scroll on the watch side to allow users to have psychological expectations for the length and switching sequence of the page.
Diverse data representations. Make good use of the shape and area of a circular dial, such as a percentage, or a pie chart.
Use the watch as a control center to command all other devices at home. Control your TV, sweeping robot, stereo, air conditioner, all at home.
Other Features I Participated In...
Final Product
Xiaomi Watch S1 and S1 Pro has launched in 2022.
Watch S1
