VODAFONE SOS BAND
Design for IOT
INDUSTRIAL
DESIGN
UX
DESIGN
PACKAGING
DESIGN
Industrial and UX Design for a safety wearable
Vodafone commissioned us to define the functionalities, as well as the industrial and UX Design of their wearable SOS Band. We created a simple and intuitive user experience and an unobtrusive and attractive industrial design. To let no opportunity go to waste we also designed the packaging to act as a charging night stand. The Vodafone SOS Band was awarded with a IF Award for Product Design.
Potential life-saver
​
Vodafone's new SOS Band is designed to give peace of mind both to the elderly and their families. It allows its wearer to send an SOS-alert by long-pressing a button, or - when a fall is detected - automatically sends the alert to a pre-determined number of family members or first-responders.
​
SOS Band will also send an alarm in case it detects no movement whatsoever for a predetermined amount of time.
Once the alert has been received and acknowledged by any of the destined recipients, a large, easy-to-read help-symbol switches from red illumination to solid green, reassuring the wearer that help is on its way.
Easy to understand - unobtrusive to wear
​
A critical dimension of this project was style: especially the female respondents we talked to said they would not wear something that looked like a care-device or a prothesis. So we positioned the design in the fitness-wearable area. At the same time, we needed to keep usability the absolute design-priority.
This wearable is easy to use because it's so easy to understand: it features no more than 2 illuminated symbols: one for the battery level and another for the status of the SOS request (triggered by the SOS Button or Fall Detection).
​
See more design for wearables from studiomem.
"Since purchasing the V-SOS Band, my sweet little 84 year old granny has been the talk of the seniors dance club she attends. She loves the independence of walking to Thursday afternoon Bingo and finds the operation of the band easy!"
​
itunes.apple.com
Packaging Design, non disposable
​
The packaging of SOS bracelet also serves as a stationary charging-dock. Just position the cable of the included charger within the base - and feel better about reducing plastic waste!
​
Prototyping
​
We designed this wearable to make it as unobtrusive and comfortable as possible for those who will wear it. In 3D design terms, this meant plenty of prototypes built and tested for comfort and wearability but also for reducing the perceived size of the finished device as much as possible. As a result, the main body and display bezel elegantly pick up the form of the bracelet to close the design.
​
It also carefully assumes trends in term of colors, materials and textures to achieve a contemporary look without sharp edges.