Wearable Design

Constraints

• Screen: ~40mm, round or square
• Interaction: taps, swipe, crown/bezel, voice
• Session: 3-5 seconds (glance, not browse)
• Context: active, on-the-go, hands may be occupied

Design Principles

1. Glanceable: Information in 2-3 seconds
2. Actionable: One tap to the most common action
3. Minimal: One piece of information per screen
4. Timely: Show what's relevant NOW

UI Patterns

• Notification: Title + 1 line body + 1-2 action buttons
• Complication: Single metric on watch face (step count, weather)
• List: Short scrollable list (5-10 items max)
• Detail: Headline + key info + action

Typography

• System font (SF Compact for Apple Watch)
• Large: 20-34pt for primary info
• Body: 15-17pt minimum
• No more than 2 font sizes per screen

Don'ts

• Don't replicate the phone app
• Don't require typing (use voice or preset responses)
• Don't show more than 3-5 items in a list
• Don't use light colors on bright outdoor screens