Applying universal design principles to themes for wearables

Wearable computing offers new opportunities for technology to help us in many different contexts. Yet, it is important that designers of wearable devices take into account Universal Design principles to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit. We discuss the possible advantages of applying universal design principles to different themes that wearable technologies address. We use six themes that are driving wearable enhancements. These themes cut across industry and use cases; most wearable technologies will use at least one of these themes. We take each of the universal design principles and see how they apply to each theme and what advantages can be expected from such an application. The study shows that a balance needs to be achieved to the accessibility, usability, and general use of a wearable device.