Original Apple Watch designer shares interesting facts about its development
On the five-year anniversary of the first Apple Watch, Imran Chaudhri, one of the original device's designers, has shared a few facts and tidbits about the development of the wearable.
The Apple Watch has come a long way since its initial iteration in 2015.
Imran Chaudhri, an Apple alumnus who now serves as the co-founder of a stealth startup called Humane, shared a handful of "fun facts" about the original Apple Watch and some elements of its interface in a Twitter thread on April 24.
For example, Chaudhri posted a reproduction of the original sketch for the Apple Watch's home screen, and added some details about the interface.
Additionally, the former Apple designer said that his first Apple watch prototype was actually a sixth-generation iPod nano strapped to a watch band. Chaudhri used that prototype to show off Siri and the Notification Center on a wrist-worn platform.
A few other interesting tidbits about the Apple Watch's original development process.
The Apple Watch has come a long way since its initial iteration in 2015.
Imran Chaudhri, an Apple alumnus who now serves as the co-founder of a stealth startup called Humane, shared a handful of "fun facts" about the original Apple Watch and some elements of its interface in a Twitter thread on April 24.
For example, Chaudhri posted a reproduction of the original sketch for the Apple Watch's home screen, and added some details about the interface.
here's a reproduction of my original sketch for the home screen. the shape of the circular icon was driven by the clock that lived in the centre of what i originally called the dock. the crown gave the home screen a dimensionality, allowing you to scrub through layers of the ui. pic.twitter.com/w2QITncvHl
-- Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri)
Additionally, the former Apple designer said that his first Apple watch prototype was actually a sixth-generation iPod nano strapped to a watch band. Chaudhri used that prototype to show off Siri and the Notification Center on a wrist-worn platform.
my first prototype was built on a 6th gen nano strapped to this band. i had just wrapped up ios5 and took it down to show the ID team what notification centre and siri was - and what it could be in the future. i never got to share it with steve. we lost him right after ios5. pic.twitter.com/j4JJYNIgIu
-- Imran Chaudhri (@imranchaudhri)
A few other interesting tidbits about the Apple Watch's original development process.
- Digital Touch was initially called "electronic touch," or E.T. Chaudhri said he called it that because of its "potential as a new form of emotional connections."
- Similarly, the drawing "ink" of the Digital Touch feature was inspired by Chaudhri's "graffiti days" -- The "ephemera was designed to communicate transmission while making it guilt free."
- Apple's various loop-based straps were inspired by the velcro Speedmaster straps worn by Apollo-era astronauts, and were meant to be uncomplicated.
- The butterflies used in one of the Motion faces were not harmed during animation process since they were already dead. Chaudhri got to keep the blue one.
- The Solar watch face was created as a way for Muslims observing Ramadan to "quickly see the position of the sun and for all to understand the sun's relationship to time," Chaudhri said.
Comments
I think getting it right the first time is genius.
Now, in retrospect, knowing one is witnessing a dead butterfly on one’s watch is a little creepy. It’s like seeing a dead person animated using strings for a strange play or stage act.
As the Series 5 was such a basic update over the Series 4 I'm hoping the Series 6 really moves the needle.
Now I have one, I value the 'always on' display even more because I know the raise to read gesture can be so cranky.
...yea, yea, I know, I'm wearing it wrong
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