It’s been two weeks since I strapped an apple watch to my wrist and not much has changed. Every morning I wake up, take the dog out, strap the watch on, and prep for the day.
I went one day in the string of 14 without the watch and felt naked without it. Despite all the product’s “beta” flaws, I’ve grown accustomed to the soft ping and subtle pulse of its notifications. Even though it tells me to stand up when I’m already standing (this is annoying AF), I muster enough appreciation for it to keep the band fastened.
In an effort to make sense of this seemingly useless and frequently inaccurate gadget, here’s my attempt to evaluate the watch’s interface and interactions according to Nielsen’s five components of usability.
Learnability: Is it easy to perform basic tasks when first introduced to the design?
No, not really.
Efficiency: Are task easy to accomplish quickly once the design is learned?
Nope.
Memorability: Can users maintain proficiency and remember how to use the design?
Hmm, maybe?
Errors: Do users make errors often? How critical are the errors? Can users recover from their errors
Yes, but they aren’t critical.
Satisfaction: Is the design pleasant to use?
Yes.
All in all, I can’t wait to see how the apple watch will evolve. Oh, there’s the watch! I’ve been sitting too long and it’s time to stand up.
UPDATE: I’ve completely stopped wearing the watch.
