Wearable Tech – What It Means For The Future Of Websites

With the recent announcement of Apple Watch, all eyes are on the future of mobile devices. While wearable tech such as smart watches is still in its very early stages, industry experts have predicted that this new way of accessing data will see significant growth over the next decade; but what does that mean for websites? As this new form of technology begins to take root, a shift in websites and how they are designed and deliver content will have to be made. Here are a few ways that the future of website design will be affected by wearable websites:

Responsiveness

Websites are already starting to adopt responsive designs with the prevalence of smartphones and tablets but the rate is far too slow. Less than 5% of Fortune 1000 websites are responsive and as screens continue to get smaller on wearable technology devices, responsive design is going to be a necessity. On a smartwatch a single non-responsive logo can take up the entire window leaving users confused, and full page websites will be impossible to navigate. Making sure websites scale to fit the size of the screen could be the difference in users staying on the website or searching for a competitor.

Simplicity

The future of website design will start putting content at the forefront. The time of flashy, over-the-top design and visuals will come to an end as wearable devices simply do not have the space for over-stylised websites. Creating a website that puts vital information first in an easy-to-read way will be critical. Font sizes will need to be increased and minimalism will start to prevail.

Ease Of Use

Designers will have to put a greater focus on intuitiveness and usability for wearable websites. Users that are browsing from a wearable device want their information quickly and easily; design cannot get in the way of access to vital information. Making sure that unnecessary design elements are out of the way, menus are intuitive, and annoyances like pop-ups are gone will be important to maintaining a positive user experience.