I am working in my senior thesis. I chose to work with a watch, but I just don’twant to design another watch! boooring I want to design an additional feature to a watch.Well, there are a couple of problems with wristwatches now a days.
First, they are dying in the younger generation because most of the teenagers and college students use cellphones. Second, while doing research online and conducting interviews, many people came to the conclusion that it used as a fashion statement.
So while doing market research, I can go two directions. Use the younger generations as my target users. (Design something with new technology and cool designs)
Or I can design something with an additional purpose.
I was thinking maybe designing a watch that helps you more with your senses, besides the 5 traditional ones.
Direction can be one (a vibrate can trigger when facing north, and of course you can turn the function on and off) Also measuring outside temp and body temp.
OR maybe even a watch that can help you organize and track your vitals.
This is where I am at. Am I thinking too much of this? Should I just grasp a direction and go for it?
I am confused…You want us to give you the ideas for your design? Isn’t that what you are supposed to do?
How about you go about his in the opposite direction and use us for guidance on what you are doing. Post your work, thoughts on your research, etc… and we will be able to give you constructive criticism. We are not going to design this for you, but have not problem with feedback.
I think you are a bit unfocused here. What is the problem you are trying to solve. Is it that consumers are not wearing watches? Is it watches do not provide enough to the consumer anymore? Could it be as simple as watches are becoming irrelevant? I don’t know if I believe in many of these or even all of these, but you need to pinpoint what you are trying to accomplish.
Once you figure out your problem I would encourage you to do some competitor and consumer analysis/research to decide what opportunity you should go after. I envision a two axis T chart that may have fashion and function one axis and telling time and multifunctional (use better wording). You could plot watches, cell phones and other devices to help you show opportunities.
Bottom line figure out your focus, research your consumer, and then you can design based on those opportunities.
I can’t help decide which direction you should pursue, but I feel your pain because I had the same problem last year. I’m not sure how senior studio is set up this year, but I think you should decide your topic and set up your project scope as soon as you can, so that you actually leave yourself some time to design. It’s easy to get caught up in research to find the perfect problem to solve, but in retrospect, I could have managed my time better to design the best solution for my problem, instead of just an okay, not fully developed solution for the “best” problem.
That being said, you should just choose whichever path you are most interested in. Also, I don’t think there is really anything wrong with designing a “regular” watch. Be careful of adding so many features and technologies that the watch part of it gets lost. It sounds like your problem is already pretty clear. How can you get the younger generation to become interested in watches? Haha, I have been wearing a watch a lot more since I’ve started working. Does that mean I’m getting old?
I took a direction. I am going to design for the group called “Hypebeast.” People that want to dress to impress. They do a lot of online shopping.
I am going to look at:
How trends start
Compare the past trends starting from 2007 to 2011
How advertising has an effect with trends.
Ultimately, I want to design a wristwatch for the younger generation who rely too much on their smartphones. By designing more that just a watch, a watch with an emotional bond with these specific users.
It does, but I question the ability to do so, maybe that will be the challenge. I read an interesting article recently, can’t seem to find it, about 3 successful gen y’ers in silicon valley, one worked for Google, the other for Twitter, and I forget where the third worked. After a decade of not wearing watches, all three turned to collecting vintage time pieces, something that has increased in popularity… something to look into.
I’d also research brands like Bell & Ross, who have the feel like they have been around for a long time, yet are relatively new, expensive, and successful. Tsovet, same thing (I just bought one)
I chose to work with a watch, but I just don’twant to design another watch! boooring I want to design an additional feature to a watch.Well, there are a couple of problems with wristwatches now a days.
This is where I am at. Am I thinking too much of this? Should I just grasp a direction and go for it?