Early iterations of wearable tech wore thin very quickly, often for the reasons these thinkers identify: low battery life, constant notification/ update pestering, and plain old uselessness. As the Cira Apps CTO Vern Weitzman notes, much of this came down to a lack of clear-eyed empathy for the user experience.
Read Vern Weitzman on healthy engagement in wearables.
“[You should] test to be sure these apps are safe and don’t cause people to injure themselves or become addicted zombies…
“There has to be a way to balance how much data you’re going to collect and actually provoking a harmful backlash.”
As the next generation of digitized apparel comes to market, it’s smart to avoid the historical mistakes discussed here. Like a really well-fitting pair of pants, a good piece of wearable tech should feel less like an accessory you carry around, and more like a part of you.