Do I Need an Apple Watch App? (360|iDev 2017)

Intro materials for my Apple Watch workshop

Transcript

1. What Makes a Good Apple Watch App? Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
2. Apple Watch Interactions Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
3. watchOS 1 Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
4. watchOS 2 Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
5. watchOS 3 and 4 Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
6. Two-Second Interactions — Watch apps should be brief interactions. — Where possible, pre-load information so it’s ready when the user wants it. — Use shallow navigation hierarchies and never keep the user waiting. — Text input only as a last resort. Ask yourself: “Does this sound like my app?” Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
7. Who Benefits from a Watch App? In general, you want a watch app if you can: — Provide timely information to your users — Let your users make quick decisions — Provide value in situations where users can’t use other devices — Track health data, especially for workouts Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
8. Who Doesn’t Benefit from a Watch App? You can probably skip a watch app if your app: — Is for browsing text-based content, like Twitter or RSS feeds — Relies on extensive user input — Relies on long-running network operations to succeed — Is just a wrapper for your website Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
9. Traits of Good Apps Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
10. Provide Timely Information — The very first thing users should see when opening your app is information useful to them — Information should update automatically in the background so it’s always current — Use large type to highlight the most important information — Show only the most important information Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
11. Provide Timely Information — The very first thing users should see when opening your app is information useful to them — Information should update automatically in the background so it’s always current — Use large type to highlight the most important information — Show only the most important information Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
12. Provide Timely Information — The very first thing users should see when opening your app is information useful to them — Information should update automatically in the background so it’s always current — Use large type to highlight the most important information — Show only the most important information Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
13. Provide Timely Information — The very first thing users should see when opening your app is information useful to them — Information should update automatically in the background so it’s always current — Use large type to highlight the most important information — Show only the most important information Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
14. Let Users Make Quick Decisions — Use notification APIs to give users choices right on the notification — No watch app required! — Quick yes/no decisions with a single tap — Automate frequent actions Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
15. Let Users Make Quick Decisions — Use notification APIs to give users choices right on the notification — No watch app required! — Quick yes/no decisions with a single tap — Automate frequent actions Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
16. Let Users Make Quick Decisions — Use notification APIs to give users choices right on the notification — No watch app required! — Quick yes/no decisions with a single tap — Automate frequent actions Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
17. Provide Value When Users Can’t Use Other Devices — Apple Watch can go places iPhone can’t—like swimming in the ocean — But the screen is very hard to tap when wet — Places or situations where it’s rude to take your phone out — When permanently or temporarily disabled — While holding a sleeping child Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
18. Funneling Features to the Watch When the iPhone came out, Mac apps were pared down to makes sense on mobile. With the Watch, it’s tempting to replicate all of the features of your iPhone app. Instead, focus on what you can do in two seconds, focusing on the use cases where it makes the most sense. Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
19. Health and Fitness Apps Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
20. Workout Apps — If your app tracks workouts of any kind, you need to be on Apple Watch or your users will switch to a competitor — Users love filling their Activity Rings, and if your app helps with that, it’s now a part of their routine Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
21. Health Apps — Apple Watch is great for collecting health data — Watch apps can’t always access health data, as it’s stored securely on iPhone — Heart rate sensor data is transformative for certain applications — Combine with notifications to encourage healthy behaviors in your users Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
22. Complications Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
23. Unparalleled Engagement — Users see complications every time they raise their wrist — Automatically update in the background — Installed complications get more time for their apps to update in the background — Time Travel lets you show users their data in the past and future Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
24. So Do I Need A Watch App or Not? Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
25. So Do I Need A Watch App or Not? If you have an iPhone app that is: — a workout app, or — gathers or displays health data Click “New Target” in Xcode right now and make one. Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
26. So Do I Need A Watch App or Not? Otherwise, if you: — Can provide value with brief interactions — Have a backend that supports updating in the background — Have timely information to display to the user — Can live with the limited feature set of the watch Congratulations! You should make a watch app. Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan
27. So Do I Need A Watch App or Not? What if you’re somewhere in the middle? — Use a watch app to stand out in some categories — Ask yourself, “would I keep this complication on my watch face?” — Ask yourself if you’re willing to put in the work to keep it updated for new watchOS versions Jeff Kelley @SlaunchaMan