Designing the user interface for Suunto's first-ever color screen dive watch
Suunto dive computers and sports watches are used by professional athletes and sports enthusiasts around the world. New Things Company's (nowadays called Witted) designer had an important part in designing the user interface for their first-ever dive watch with a color screen.
“We appreciate good partners and skilled designers who are able to jump into our often technically challenging operations, understand the use context and do quality design”,
Mikko Ahlström, Head of Design, Suunto.
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![](https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-dive-watches.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=374&q=90&w=750&s=70b505795423a09af2998b916b654785 750w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-dive-watches.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=473&q=90&w=950&s=8d400cfcae19db39cadaf06094a9b119 950w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-dive-watches.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=573&q=90&w=1150&s=f3baecb47a888135ad593bfb0cc6da2b 1150w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-dive-watches.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=673&q=90&w=1350&s=e510b350c0aba70133e2b3473cdfcba8 1350w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-dive-watches.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=772&q=90&w=1550&s=7d4580ea6e57defeb8326d090cdf1b19 1550w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-dive-watches.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=872&q=90&w=1750&s=ec38284fcdc96bc2d50b88c4e446abb0 1750w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-dive-watches.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=971&q=90&w=1950&s=9f6c26f2539258d50175a3c64541e9fb 1950w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-dive-watches.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=996&q=90&w=2000&s=38632a4ad014fbfdd4a4755719393cf9 2000w)
Things get done by being part of the team
Our experienced consultants integrate well with the client’s organization whether it's designing and developing entire products or supporting the client’s team. At Suunto, consultants are treated as members of the in-house design team.
Collaboration was close, ideas and design solutions were critiqued periodically and the results speak for themselves. This approach ensures a cohesive design language for Suunto products and a pleasant company culture to dive into.
The design is what actually ends up at the hands of customers and developers are an integral part of making sure the execution matches the vision (by the way, all the UI pics on this page are from the actual product). The final details were often worked out by designers and developers together.
Like all Suunto products, the D5 went through rigorous testing both in and out of water. Feedback was taken into consideration throughout the design and development process.
Attention to detail
The small form factor of the wearable provides a nice challenge in trying to distill the user interface design into its essence since there is no room for anything extra. Everything needs to be pixel perfect.
Suunto D5 provided a unique opportunity to design a user interface that complements the industrial design of the product, even more so than many other Suunto devices. Generally, Suunto sport watches have multiple variants and the same software is used in multiple different watches. Suunto D5 feels like an especially cohesive product where digital and physical design blend effortlessly because it was specifically designed so.
![](https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-watches-grid.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=614&q=90&w=750&s=19fb0c872b70275e72a95856b495d3d9 750w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-watches-grid.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=777&q=90&w=950&s=140c812438c90ffc24701a1a86ab4efa 950w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-watches-grid.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=941&q=90&w=1150&s=f8a38ff7a7c260caecbf89b6511198d1 1150w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-watches-grid.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1105&q=90&w=1350&s=f6f2f9c051eef9e53ec95db7f1600bfb 1350w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-watches-grid.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1268&q=90&w=1550&s=412d273ce89f5a5646dc18fc56f9ac9c 1550w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-watches-grid.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1432&q=90&w=1750&s=98d910e066011228c748ea4ac0362c5f 1750w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-watches-grid.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1595&q=90&w=1950&s=747088afe163cfc1e54a51e78949a17e 1950w, https://witted.imgix.net/suunto-watches-grid.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&cs=srgb&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1636&q=90&w=2000&s=2ddcb9797fe30911c8f9af0cfb4c1328 2000w)
A successful product launch
After the launch, the Suunto D5 has won multiple awards, gained an impressive user satisfaction score and been a sales success. It is a robust dive watch that stays on the wrist also between the dives. These are the results we aim to achieve when working with our customers.
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