Case Study

Connected Watch for Seniors & Caregivers

A connected wearable and mobile system designed to support safety, communication, and independence for older adults and their families.

Role
Lead UX/Product Designer

Team
Timex R&D, Device/App / Cloud Vendors, T-Mobile

Deliverables
Watch and App / Cloud UX/UI Specs

Tools
Confluence, Jira, Figma, Adobe XD

Impact
Launched with T-Mobile (2021); Defined end-to-end UX across watch companion app

Platform
Watch (AOSP) + Mobile (iOS/Android) + Cloud-connected services

Overview

Timex set out to create a cellular-enabled watch for seniors, focused on family communication, safety features like SOS and fall detection, and basic wellness in a simple, easy-to-use experience. Drawing on my prior work in clinical and healthcare environments, I focused on making the product as clear and easy to use as possible. The watch and companion app were designed as a connected system, supporting family setup and interaction. Launched with T-Mobile in 2021, the product enabled Timex to enter the cellular wearable market with a solution for seniors and their families.

Challenge

Designing for seniors requires sensitivity to their tech reluctance and acceptance. The system started from multiple external components:

A watch platform from Vendor 1
An app and cloud platform from Vendor 2
Network requirements from Vendor 3

These needed to be shaped into a single, cohesive Timex experience. The product also had to be robust and commercially viable, supporting communication, emergency access through SOS, and everyday use without requiring a big learning curve (for both watch and app).
Side note: As part of the process, I signed my mother up as a test user. She told me what worked and what didn’t. Watching her use it told me the rest.

Design Approach

Watch — Built on vendor UI architecture, defining interaction patterns and a scalable system across components and edge cases
App — Extended the existing Family Connect app, simplifying navigation for critical caregiver actions
Brand & Wellness —Applied Timex visual language while supporting activity, heart rate, and sleep for active seniors

Design Process & System Development

Collaborated cross-functionally with product, engineering, and external partners
Established Confluence as the source of truth for UX specifications, aligning engineering, QA, and stakeholders
Defined and maintained interaction patterns, key flows, and system behaviors across both watch and app experiences
Designed a simplified watch UI for core interactions (calling, messaging, notifications, safety)
Developed the companion app experience for onboarding, caregiver interaction, contact management, and remote configuration
Expanded specifications into a scalable design system covering hundreds of screens, states, and edge cases
Continuously refined designs based on stakeholder feedback, technical constraints, and real-world usability

Key Design Decisions

Focused on core use cases — prioritized communication and safety over feature expansion
Deferred complex features — medication tracking and workout experiences were explored but introduced significant complexity and development cost
Aligned features with real-world use — ensured all features supported accessibility, reliability, and real-world usability for older adults

Sample Screens

Watch Activation

QR Code scan - Simple and effective onboarding flow

Watch onboarding (Interactive Tutorial)

Once activated - Features explained; Can skip or review

Calling

Cellphone features available on wrist
Controls available during call (Volume, hang up)

Real world scenarios

Different User Profiles

Designed distinct flows for individual users purchasing and managing their own device, as well as a managed care model where a family member sets up and oversees the watch for a loved one.

Advanced Privacy

Enabled seniors to control location tracking and activity sharing, allowing them to opt in or out and manage their privacy settings independently.

Multiple Roles and Emergency Contacts

Created role-based access for Co-Admins, Guardians, and Basic Contacts, with flexible emergency contacts that could be easily managed and updated across the family network.

Outcome

The product launched successfully with T-Mobile, establishing Timex as an innovator with a commercially available connected watch and companion app designed specifically for seniors and their families.

Iterating post-launch proved challenging, as the product ecosystem spanned multiple vendors and stakeholders, making feature expansion and updates more complex over time.
The product created new market opportunities beyond the initial launch, leading to Timex Family Connect Enterprise, extending the platform into independent and assisted living environments.
Side note: My mother continues to use the watch, and I regularly rely on the Timex Family Connect app to communicate with her and confirm her safety.

For a quick video overview of this watch, check out Timex's promo video here .

Reflection

This project revealed that we were not just designing a device and app, but building an ecosystem across hardware, mobile, data, and partners. Sustaining that system required ongoing alignment and investment beyond the initial launch. While the product succeeded at launch, continued iteration highlighted the challenges of evolving a multi-stakeholder platform over time.

The key takeaway: creating effective products in this space requires not only thoughtful design, but a system that can be supported, maintained, and scaled as part of a larger ecosystem.

I’m grateful to have been part of this initiative and to have collaborated with such a talented team at Timex and across partner organizations.

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Available for product design, UX leadership, and complex systems work.

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