
Jawbone UP3
strategy
Jawbone has a strong strategic point of view that to get the most out of a wearable, you have to wear it, all the time. A wearable that’s not worn is not a wearable. Our design strategy starts with this belief, and then we seek to answer a core question: would someone wear the product as jewelry without the technology inside it. Only when that answer is a resounding, yes, do we have a successful design.
UP3 is designed to be an accessory, with a clear line in the sand, demarcating our approach from other larger and more distracting devices. Our goal is to deliver a discreet and highly personal wearable experience, not one that constantly interrupts the user. UP3 contains some incredible technological innovations. However, this does not mean our wearables have to look like technology – the more advanced the engineering capabilities are, the more we have to push for the fluid integration of these items into our everyday lives.
brand
The UP3 packaging is about maximizing shelf presence, while creating the best possible out-of-box-experience. The packaging is an embodiment of the product – sturdy, and with high quality materials. Keeping with a very simple color palette of contrasting black and white, we gave it a bold and expressive presence on the shelf, almost like a billboard. The box looks almost like a display in a museum – you can see quality of the build and the materials through a window, rather than a photographic representation. Like a sturdy drawer, consumers can also reuse the box: allowing for a secondary life rather than being thrown away. The LED icon set embedded into the UP3 is designed as a key to quickly understand what each UP setting has to offer. As there is so much data available to the user, this is a tool used for education, and quick product differentiation by color, shapes and icons.
product
The greatest challenge, and the greatest value proposition for UP3, is the new sensor technology embedded into the flexible strap. UP3 can measure advanced movement and sleep patterns, and with the addition of a bio-impedance sensor that can detect heart rate, and many other signals, the possibilities are huge.
The original UP has the narrowest form factor on the wrist of any device on the market, enabling maximum wrist movement, making it the most comfortable wearable available. With UP3, we explored 100’s of internal component and sensor layouts, resulting in different widths and lengths of the band. These hundreds of prototypes, often differing by as little as .3mm, were judged for comfort, size impression, and proportions before we selected the optimal ergonomics for a variety of wrist sizes. The vision was to build a powerful, multi-sensor device in a robust casing that is small and comfortable enough to be worn 24/7.
To enable UP3 to be a one-size-fits-all device, an innovative clasp had to be invented to allow for the sensor data to travel around the wrist and strap adjustability for maximum comfort. The clasp mechanism, uniquely designed for the UP3, allows the band to slide through a flat metal gate and lock in at just the right size for the user; this maximizes the exposure of the sensors on your skin. Making the UP3 one size was no small feat and new clasps are rarely designed for this reason. But to accommodate new sensor locations on the body and fit across many different body types, we had to create a form factor optimized for 24/7 use.
The engineering components are tucked inside a rigid and durable magnesium chassis, making it watertight to 30 feet. The charger magnetically links to 4 pins on the surface of the band, and connects via USB to your computer or wall connector. UP3 is meant to be an accessory, with a clear line in the sand demarcating our approach from other clunky and distracting wearable devices.