BMW Apple Watch Redesign
How might improving the BMW Connected Apple Watch app enhance connectivity with other BMW technologies?
BMW’s mission is to integrate users’ digital lives to support their mobile needs. BMW wanted to improve the Apple Watch app usability and integration with other BMW technologies (iOS app and in-car GSP).
Challenge
Address gaps in BMW’s digital ecosystem for the Apple Watch app by improving usability and integration with the iOS app and the in-car GPS.
Solution
I created a phased roadmap of improvements to enhance smartwatches to increase user engagement and retention.
Role
Design Strategy, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, and Wireframing
Software
Apple Watch
Research
Before this project, I had limited experience using Apple Watch. To get in the mindset of the target audience, I began wearing an Apple Watch. Additionally, I investigated Apple Watch usability best practices. These helped me determine primary personas to build foundational knowledge.
Best practices
Reading usability studies and blog posts of UX designers’ trials and tribulations gave me a background for understanding smartwatch design principles that were key for evaluating the existing BMW Connected Apple Watch app. During this investigation, several recurring themes emerged.
Simplify content and prioritize key functionality. Save more complex interactions for the iPhone app.
Use simple gestures and voice control to reduce taps and improve usability with navigation and information inputs.
Support handoffs to give users access to more detailed content that is ill-suited for the size of the watch screen.
Use cases
In a study conducted by Wristly, 27% of users purchased the Apple Watch for the notifications, which users state helps them stay “in the moment” by reducing the number of times they check their phone in a day. Another similar activity that is popular among users is checking text messages. Users report that the smartwatch is not a substitute for their phones. However, it does help users with demanding schedules to manage their daily activities.
Personas
Apple Watch owner research indicated the average Apple Watch user is male, around 40 years old, well educated, has a high income, and commonly has a post-secondary degree. These descriptions matched two BMW personas from the US market. Both personas are power users who have hectic schedules and are always on the go. They frequently communicate with colleagues, friends, and family. Therefore, the best design solution needed to be versatile and help users communicate while on the go.
Design strategy
After familiarizing myself with best practices, I realized that the existing BMW Connected watch app did not follow many recommended design strategies. To address this concern and the project goal, I recommended improving the Apple Watch app in phases. It was essential to get the fundamentals correct before creating more complex features. The initial focus was updating the information architecture, working on ways of surfacing BMW Connected information within the watch, and finally addressing handoffs.
Design
Information architecture
To access the BMW Connected Apple Watch app, users first need to download the iPhone app. The watch app’s information architecture did not mirror the iPhone app IA due to changes made last year. For consistency and findability, reflecting the hierarchy of information across the watch and iPhone apps were important.
Another goal of the new IA was to simplify content and prioritize key functions of the app. Rather than recreating the iPhone app experience, it was important to highlight stand-alone content to enhance usability, improve readability, and focus users’ attention on a particular item. I recommended consolidating remote features onto one screen, make the Car Locator card is more visible, introduce voice commands and removed the calendar. Additionally, all force touch commands would be removed and reintroduced at a later phase when handoffs were integrated.
Notifications and Siri integration
The watch’s screen size and small touch targets do not lend themselves towards easily accomplishing complex tasks. By taking advantage of push notifications and integrating BMW Connected Siri commands, we surfaced content rather than requiring them to perform many interactions before arriving in the app. I removed complicated interactions from the watch app. Because remote commands and preconditioning vehicles are the most used features of the Apple Watch app, those were the first features to be integrated with Siri.
Handoffs
Handoffs are a key function that allows users to transition between their digital devices seamlessly. To improve usability for watch app users, I wanted to create a consistent gesture language. The research revealed that iPhone app users are power users. This user group is familiar with force touch interactions. Force touch was used exclusively for users to communicate their arrival times to friends and family (an in-demand feature by the personas) and handoff opportunities.
Solution
I partnered with a UI designer who created the final mocks.
