Step

This project presents STEP, a child-first smartwatch designed to support growing independence. Unlike most wearable projects, the work extended beyond the screen, covering interface design, interaction model, and the physical product itself. Hardware and software were treated as a single system, where form, material, and interaction reinforce the same values: calm, trust, and clarity.

About the project
This project presents STEP, a child-first smartwatch designed to support growing independence. The experience focuses on safety, emotional awareness, and structured focus, creating a calm and intentional interaction model. Instead of constant tracking or distraction-driven features, STEP encourages autonomy through simple actions like quick check-ins, mood signals, and focus blocks. The result is a more balanced relationship between technology, children, and parents.
Share My Location allows children to send their real-time location when needed, giving parents clarity without constant tracking. Designed as an intentional action, it reinforces safety while preserving the child’s sense of autonomy.
Share My Mood allows children to express how they feel through a simple and intuitive interaction. Without complexity or pressure, it creates space for emotional awareness while offering parents a subtle understanding of their child’s day.

Client/

Step

About the project

Children are often introduced to technology through devices that were not designed for them. What starts as a tool for connection quickly becomes a source of distraction, control, or dependency.
‍
This project started from that tension.

Instead of designing another smartwatch filled with features, the goal was to rethink what a first personal device could represent. Not as a gateway to more screen time, but as a tool to support independence, awareness, and trust.

What made this project different was the scope. Beyond the interface, I was responsible for developing the physical product concept — exploring form, proportions, and material language from scratch. Using AI-assisted tools, I created and refined the industrial design direction, ensuring that hardware and software worked as a cohesive system rather than separate layers. The watch doesn't just run the experience. It communicates it.

The physical design avoids excess. Soft edges, considered proportions, and restrained material choices reinforce the same sense of calm and durability that runs through the interface. Holding it should feel as intentional as using it.

On the interface side, STEP shifts the focus from constant interaction to intentional moments. Rather than overwhelming the user with information, it creates a calm structure where each action has a clear purpose.

Some features were designed to change the nature of interaction itself. Safety becomes an active gesture through simple check-ins, replacing passive tracking with intentional communication. Emotional awareness is introduced through lightweight mood signals, creating space for expression without complexity. Focus is treated as a conscious choice, encouraging structured time without pressure or reward systems.

The system doesn't try to do more. It tries to do just enough — supporting without interrupting, guiding without controlling.
More than a smartwatch, STEP is an exploration of how technology can support growth without taking control. And how design, when it works across both form and interaction, can make that feel natural.

Next/

FoxPlay