Dubbed Neo, the new kids' watch is an ergonomic, customizable, and playful smartwatch that allows families to safeguard their children's whereabouts while still giving them the resources to seek help when needed. Neo's real-time phone connectivity empowers and encourages the child to be independent and responsible while giving the parents more peace of mind throughout the day.

The smartwatch's durable design is coupled with an angled watch face that improves the viewing angle for the user, reducing strain on the wrist. The angle also provides an ergonomically natural way to use the front-facing camera. By tilting the screen at a 45-degree angle, we remove the need for problematic over-articulation of the arm, offering a more comfortable movement for viewing and interacting.

Design Innovation

The straps are designed to be customizable across an array of bright colors and materials that are suitable for kids and teens. The strap closure mechanism is a simple and intuitive loop and buckle design, with an anodized metal pin to secure the watch to the wrist. Thanks to a clever attachment mechanism, the watch straps can also accommodate a straight-facing orientation. A tactile elastomeric button is ergonomically positioned at the top corner of the screen and serves as the primary action button for all of Neo's basic functions (camera shutter, message sending, gaming, etc.). In emergencies, a child can hold this button down for 5-seconds to trigger the "quick call" function, immediately contacting family members and sending a location alert to the parent app. A built-in speaker and microphone enable communication with family members using VoIP to send voice messages 1:1 or to family group chats in the parent app.

Benefit to User

Vodafone Neo combines its technological capabilities with Disney's entertainment chops to offer a wearable that gives kids a sense of independence while letting parents stay in contact. Designed for kids in an age group with quickly fluctuating interests, Neo can be customized to suit and reflect their evolving form of self-expression.

Besides the injection of Disney charm, Neo is also focused on keeping parents in touch with their kids, with a few added smartwatch features. With the watch, parents can call, text, and get updates on their kid's location from the companion Vodafone Smart app. Parents can use the same app to create a "circle" of trusted contacts for texting and calling and limit screen time with Quiet Mode. To boost kids' "independence," the Neo can also receive calendar updates, check the weather, track activity, and take photos with a built-in 5-megapixel camera. Children can make calls or send texts to their parent/guardian or an approved trusted contact. Contacts are accessed by swiping to the right, and calls are restricted to five minutes to save battery life. All photos and information is shared between the Neo and the Smart App. This allows a parent to keep tabs on a child's location, check on their activity, as well as add events to their calendar and see what photos they've taken. This admin access can be shared with another person or parent if required.

The benefit to Client/Brand

The design of Neo brings to life Vodafone's ambitions to bring to market a smartwatch that addressed their existing frustrations with tech; an experience to keep children entertained (the outward-facing high-resolution 5MP camera, activity tracker, and Disney characters), but with parental controls for safety and reassurance. A child-friendly quick call button can be held down for five seconds to ring a family member; the angled watch face improves viewing, and the customizable strap is secured by a simple loop and buckle design. As well as the hardware, Neo also features a simple, frictionless software experience from Vodafone and Disney's world-class designers. Notably, the watch intentionally blocks access to the internet or social media – to assuage parental concerns around internet safety and over-stimulation. An accompanying Vodafone Smart App allows parents to view the watch's location, personalize and monitor its circle of trusted contacts and manage screen time through a 'quiet mode' setting. There's a monthly subscription fee and all contacts have to be pre-approved by the parent, or guardian before they can be reached.

Benefit to Society

What is the ideal watch for children that keeps them safe and connected to their parents, while not being a distraction? Designed for kids between the ages of 4 and 11, we worked closely with Vodafone on the company's first hardware product built from the ground up. In a world more connected than ever, we learned how parents are looking for new ways to stay in touch with their children—protecting and monitoring them as they approach their preadolescent years. To redefine what it means for parents to support their kids without being intrusive was the main experience and design challenge. Understanding this opportunity, we developed an ownable and iconic device that brings Vodafone to the new frontier of wearables and consumer IoT.

Appropriate Aesthetics

The smartwatch's durable design is coupled with an angled watch face that improves the viewing angle for the user, reducing strain on the wrist. The angle also provides an ergonomically natural way to use the front-facing camera. By tilting the screen at a 45-degree angle, we remove the need for problematic over-articulation of the arm, offering a more comfortable movement for viewing and interacting.

The straps are designed to be customizable across an array of bright colors and materials that are suitable for kids and teens. The strap closure mechanism is a simple and intuitive loop and buckle design, with an anodized metal pin to secure the watch to the wrist. Thanks to a clever attachment mechanism, the watch straps can also accommodate a straight-facing orientation.

A tactile elastomeric button is ergonomically positioned at the top corner of the screen and serves as the primary action button for all of Neo's basic functions (camera shutter, message sending, gaming, etc.). In emergencies, a child can hold this button down for 5-seconds to trigger the "quick call" function, immediately contacting family members and sending a location alert to the parent app. A built-in speaker and microphone enable communication with family members using VoIP to send voice messages 1:1 or to family group chats in the parent app.