Improve smartwatch onboarding and engagement across user groups

A global consumer electronics company wanted to know how real users, especially older adults, experience onboarding and early use of their smartwatch. They needed to understand how setup impressions, expectations, and engagement shifted over time, and how differences across new users, experienced users, and users 65+ impacted device interaction.

We used a three-part approach to tracking behavior across the onboarding experience. We started with in-depth interviews to capture first impressions and setup challenges. From there, we launched a three-week diary study to follow participants through daily use, capturing moments of confusion, success, and drop-off. A final interview brought the full story together with reflection and detailed feedback on what worked and what didn’t.

We identified pain points throughout the onboarding flow and surfaced opportunities to make the setup experience more intuitive and inclusive, especially for older adults. The study also revealed how early guidance and feature discoverability shaped long-term use.

With a clear view into user behavior over time, the client was able to refine onboarding, tailor support to different user segments, and strengthen engagement in those critical first few weeks.