As wearables started becoming more popular, the luxury goods industry began falling behind. I was asked to design a luxury “personal assistant” for Gucci during the wearable technology “boom” that would address (at the time) current functionality but also innovative enough to introduce components that weren’t offered by devices at the time.

Competitors at the time included Samsung Gear, Motorola Moto 360, and the not yet available but announced Apple Watch.

The idea was to create a luxury product that was sophisticated in its design and user interface and simple enough to connect with Apple or Android devices for the least tech-savvy of wearers.

I designed the watch for the always connected, fast-moving individual who could quickly glance at their wrist and view upcoming meetings within the calendar, read and send emails, view and respond to text messages, receive weather information and place calls.

The touchscreen would accommodate existing Gucci watchbands so the face of the watch wouldn’t be excessively large or cumbersome, an issue that competitors at the time had. The UI would also multiple “flavors” and could be changed to suit the preferences of the wearer.

While the design was well-received, they switched gears and went with the Will I. Am backed project that would be announced months after the pitch.