Creating user experiences for the new era of wearables.
Suunto is one of the world's most respected sportwatch and precision instrument brands. Their products are tested in the harshest conditions and are known for their reliability.
Since 2013, we have worked closely with Suunto's product development team and a number of other vendors to create user experiences and design for a wide variety of products – from watch interfaces to applications and concept design. Our latest project together is Suunto 7, a groundbreaking smartwatch powered by Google's Wear OS.
Client
Suunto
Industry
Sports
Platform
Watch / Mobile / Web
Services
Service design / Digital design / Software development / Continuous improvement
Working as a part of Suunto's own design and technology team has many benefits. Iteration cycles are extremely fast, and years of co-operation have created an efficient workflow – whether we're operating onsite or remotely.
Mutual trust is a foundation for innovation – our brainstorming sessions have often resulted in taking things to brave new directions. Over time, working this closely together also makes jumping into new projects smooth and effortless.
Timo Halko, Concepting & Experience Lead, Suunto
Suunto 7 is the flagship device that combines Suunto's experience in sports watches with the smartwatch features of Wear OS.
After over two years of development, Suunto 7 was released in 2020. It was met with high praise from critics and users all over the world. We have been closely involved with the project from the very start, helping Suunto build a user experience that meets the standards of the high-end smartwatch market.
Read our blog post on the making of Suunto 7.
Interested in buying a Suunto 7? It's available at Suunto store.
At the time of working on Suunto 7, Wear OS was still a relatively new platform. This was both the source of the project's biggest challenges and most innovative triumphs.
The result is more than just the best of both worlds: it's a user experience that stands on its own and feels intuitive – whether you're in the middle of an intense exercise or using the everyday features on the go.
Valtteri Mäki, UX Designer, Taiste
Keeping the tone and quality of Suunto's brand experience consistent is vital. In addition to UX work, we have created supplementary materials for Suunto products. This includes product packages, digital/physical marketing materials, user guides, illustrations, etc.
Having these small but important elements made by the same people who know both the brand and the products inside out is a great asset. It gives everything the same personality.
The most well-loved products are often a result of knowing your audience and being your own audience. Everyone at Suunto is a sports and outdoors aficionado. They know their fans, and continuously consult a selected group of them when working on something new.
In 2021, Suunto 7 got its biggest update so far, the contents of which was based on the user feedback. This dialogue is the best kind of quality control and assures that we're always heading in the right direction.
Mikko Ahlström
Head of Design, Suunto