Kaiser Permanente
Designing a new Apple Watch app for Kaiser Permanente before the device reached the market.
Before the Apple Watch launched in 2014, Apple approached Kaiser Permanente to design and develop an app for the device’s official release. Kaiser needed a new product experience for an entirely new platform, with no established interaction patterns, customer expectations, or existing app model to build from.
The Apple Watch app paired with Kaiser Permanente’s Everyday Walk application and program. I designed the product in a short release cycle, working closely with development teams to take the experience from early concept through UI design.
Product and UX Direction
Competitive and Market Research
Apple Watch Interaction Design
Wireframes and UI Design
Developer Collaboration
Scope
Role & Ownership
I was the Lead Product Designer for the Apple Watch app. I led the research, wireframing, and interface design, working with development teams to define and deliver a net-new product experience for the pre-release Apple Watch platform.
The work required translating Kaiser Permanente’s Everyday Walk program into a compact, glanceable experience designed for the wrist rather than simply shrinking a mobile app onto a smaller screen.
The Real Problem
The Apple Watch was a completely new product category. There was no established playbook for how people would use a watch app, what information belonged on the wrist, or how a healthcare organization could make the experience useful in a matter of seconds.
The app needed to feel native to the device while still connecting clearly to Kaiser Permanente’s Everyday Walk program. Every screen had to be focused, readable, and purposeful within the constraints of a small display and short moments of attention.
What Changed / Outcome
I designed the Apple Watch experience as a focused companion to the Everyday Walk application, creating a clear, lightweight interface built for quick interaction and at-a-glance use. The work established the visual and interaction direction for a new Kaiser Permanente experience on Apple’s unreleased wearable platform.
The design was completed in collaboration with development teams during a short pre-launch release cycle. The project was requested for the Apple Watch’s 2014 launch.