Accessible to "all" devices
Core experience usage and functionality must match and be satisfied on every available device.
8. Cross-channel Consistency
“Deliver a consistent experience”
Smartwatch App Design Guideline
8. Cross-channel Consistency
Deliver a consistent experience
Multiple wearable devices rely on their unique qualities to deliver a global experience to the user. This is how an activity across multiple channels - mobile, tablet, desktop or smartwatch- works towards one same goal, but provides multiple ways to satisfy it.
Consistency, then, operates in both experiences and graphic identity, trough the multiple channels. Even when the common objective, seamless interactions and subtle experience changes might suggest that one form of an app designed for the largest channel should be reproduced in a smaller one, this will only lead to complications for the user.
The process, thus, should be a consistent , based on the device awareness, with all the possibilities and limitations it implies.
Key Considerations
- Common objective and experience
- Experience Consistency
- UI & Graphic Consistency
- Multichannel & Omnichannel
- Seemless experience
Principles
Respect a common objective and experience
A global experience should be common to all channels (PC, mobile, wearable), still it also has to be adapted and unique to every device.
Associated Heuristics, Guidelines or Principles
- Susan Weinschenk - Fulfillment
- Laws of Simplicity - Law 10: The One
Consistency within a multichannel
Each channel should be consistent visually and interaction-wise. Visual language must be shared among all the channels.
The actions taken to achieve a common goal should be similar and predictable as well as those on the other channels.
Associated Heuristics, Guidelines or Principles
- NASA - Consistency
- Nielsen - Consistency and standards
Examples
Medication reminders
The watch medication app follows the common goal of the cellphone version. It notifies and asks the user to respond in the watch screen if he has or hasn't taken the pills.
Movie tickets
The watch app offers the possibility of displaying new movies, selecting cities and movie theaters, buying a ticket and even selecting the seat. Still, they are trying to create a new platform, instead of taking advantage of the accessibility of the watch, to notify of new movies and to save tickets to reduce waiting time.
Golf app
From all the available functionalities of the cellphone app, only the input of the score is available in the smartwatch, simplifying the player's interactions.