Why the Future of Wearables Is InvisibleWhy the Future of Wearables Is Invisible

Think the future of health tracking will be dominated by wrist-worn and other wearable devices? Think again, says Stuart Karten, founder and president of Los Angeles-based design firm Karten Design.

The future of wearables is invisible, Karten explained at the 2014 Body Computing Conference at the University of Southern California on October 3. "'Invisible' means moving technology into the background. It's putting human interaction and emotion back in the mix and respecting both."

The future destination of wearables is not the wrist (as is the case with the Apple Watch) or the head (as is the case of Google Glass) but to fade into the background, Karten says. Wearable technology, if it is to live up to the hype, is destined to disappear, Karten argues, becoming a seamless technology that can be integrated into the fabric of our everyday living.

He's right, of course. When you get down to it, it is impossible to make technology too easy or too seamless to use. And to date, most health-tracking devices don't excel in this regard. For instance, the first-generation FitBits, while doing an admirable job of tracking activity levels, required users to clip the device onto clothing each day. While it is easy to forget the device was there during the day, many users inadvertently tossed the device into the laundry. The device, though popular, led many users to wonder: "Why do I need a separate device to track the number of steps when I already have a smartphone in my pocket?" As new smartphones debut with increasingly better motion tracking capabilities, that question becomes more and more inescapable.   

The wrist has emerged as the next destination for fitness trackers. Next-generation fitness trackers like the FitBit Force and FitBit Flex and the JawBone Up look something like faceless rubber watches. (JawBone recently announced its plans to ditch its wristworn fitness trackers. ) A number of smartwatches with health-tracking functionality have also cropped up--most notably the forthcoming Apple Watch.

While wrist-worn devices have their advantages (and are less likely to be tossed into a washing machine), they represent yet another item that the user must remember to put on everyday. Because the Apple Watch is not a standalone device, a user also must remember to make it out of the house each morning with their iPhone, too. Wrist-worn smartwatches and fitness trackers, like most wearables, must be charged regularly. FitBit has run into trouble, too, with many of its users complaining of developing rashes after wearing the device. Allergic reactions to the trace amounts of nickel in the surgical grade of the device's clasp was blamed as the culprit. FitBit ended up recalling the Force, while the U.S. government is looking into similar complaints regarding its successor, the Flex.   

Even without rashes, strapping a fitness tracker onto the wrist is not something most users will likely manage to do consistently over the long term. Indeed, data regarding the long-term health benefits of such technology are lacking.

And then there is the challenge of convincing the user that wearing a rubberized wrist-worn device is cool. "Today, there seems to be a force-fitting of technology into 'things we wear' in the service of problems that don't exist," Karten says. "Today's devices force a fashion statement. The design of such products ignores the emotional decisions that drive your fashion choices."

However prominent these considerations are for fitness trackers, they are even more pertinent for medical devices. Many users of wearable medical devices like insulin pumps report being embarrassed to use the devices in public. Device companies have responded by integrating design queues from consumer devices into such products. The t:slim insulin pump from Tandem Diabetes features an Applesque design and touch screen.

The trend of camouflaging devices to make them less intrusive and more socially acceptable will continue, Karten predicts. This stands to benefit patients as camouflaged wearable medical devices "will help people to change behavior, adhere to new treatments, comply with medications, and integrate new health technologies," he says.

How can the medical device industry design for the invisible future? It starts with empathy. "Creating invisible devices requires understanding people on a deep level and bringing them information and services that are meaningful. Delve into users' habits and ceremonies to understand how to blend new behaviors into their life activities."

The medical device industry is making headway in this regard, and in the past couple of years has introduced a growing number of sleek consumer-inspired products. Medical device companies making wearable products should aim to create products that patients will love to use.

"As a designer I am keenly focused on the interface between technology and human beings. We work on products that delight users," Karten says. "When you make an invisible product, you eliminate the friction between people and technology. All that remains is an emotional connection--one that just might lead to love."

Things to keep in mind as the medical device industry designs for the future: developing technology that is easier to use, is more aesthetically pleasing, that can fade into the background, ultimately becoming practically invisible.

Brian Buntz is the editor-in-chief of MPMN and Qmed. Follow him on Twitter at @brian_buntz.

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