Daniel Righetti
Although I don’t wear a watch myself, I still find the design and evolution of the product over time quite interesting. As technology has become smaller and more advanced we’ve seen smart watches flood into the market, originally being clunky, slow and button heavy - only performing basic tasks, to the sleek, stylish, one button touch screen designs we see today, capable of calling, messaging, understanding voice commands and internet connectivity.
Even though I was interested in seeing the different range of styles on display, it was a small and ‘simple’ design that caught my eye - the Nimb Ring.
Operating alongside a clean, user-friendly app for a smartphone, the Nimb Ring’s ultimate purpose is to provide the wearer with a sense of security, functioning as a simple fashion accessory until it is needed. By interacting with a comfortably positioned button on the underside of the ring, a distress message is sent out to previously assigned numbers, vibrating to provide tactile feedback that lets the wearer know that the message has been sent successfully. According to the website, “an operator will text you within 10s and call you within 30s. If you do not answer, they will send first responders your way…”, providing the user with advanced, reliable and fast support when needed. Coupled with a stylish appearance and a natural, intuitive design, the product doesn’t look out of place or draw attention - whether it is being used or not.
Modern smart watches on display at the Red Dot Museum in Singapore, far more advanced in its technology and design
The first Linux Smartwatch: presented on 7 February 2000, where presenter Steve Mann was named "the father of wearable computing".
Although the Nimb Ring is limited in its capabilities compared to smart watches, it still makes me appreciate how far we’ve come in reducing and optimising the size of modern technology, while continuously improving the aesthetics. This provides us with an ever-growing market of products that successfully integrate technology and style/fashion, whether it’s a popular smart phone with a matte rose-gold finish to compliment an outfit, or a low gloss white tech ring with metallic highlights that blends with your clothes and other jewellery. At one time, technology was only for those interested in the field or those who worked closely with it, but in the present day it has become a part of our everyday life, it has been widely accepted at work and at home, when we’re socialising with friends and spending time alone, when we’re settling in or travelling. Most of these instances when we use technology are obvious and (mostly) welcomed, but more and more designs are emerging that hide in plain sight, being seamlessly merged with common place items and our lives, allowing us to comfortably interact with advanced technology that has been designed to make our lives easier and more enjoyable.
