Casio G-Shock

Casio G-Shock Digital Watch
EECE 418 - Assignment 1
Sean Everest
severest@interchange.ubc.ca
1. DESCRIPTION
Relative to other digital watches, the Casio G-Shock is capable of dramatically more
functionality. For instance, it is capable of tracking location-specific tide levels and moon
phases. Such vastly increased functionality combined with the same interface that was
problematic for a much smaller set of functions leads to some headaches and a surprisingly
complicated instruction manual. In the following, I will discuss three user interface problems
with the Casio G-Shock. These problems are not specific to this particular watch and would
also apply to any digital watch using the same interface.
Figure 1. Casio G-Shock interface: LCD display surrounded by 4 push buttons

Casio G-Shock Specifications

General

Accuracy	+/- 15 sec/month
Stopwatch	Yes
Clock mode	12h/24h
Band material	Resin
Battery life	2 year(s)
Battery type	CR2016
Number of batteries supported	1
Product color	Black
Dimensions (WxDxH)	48.9 x 42.8 x 13.4 mm

Weight and Dimensions

Weight	54 g

Summary

Description of Casio G-Shock Functionality

Analysis of Casio G-Shock User Interface

Functionality of Casio G-Shock

Details the purpose and operation of Set Time and Stopwatch features.

Casio G-Shock Stakeholders

Identifies users as everyday people frustrated by the complex interface.

User-Experience Goals for Digital Watches

Outlines desired user experience qualities: intuitive, functional, compact, and stylish.

Problems with the Current Casio G-Shock Interface

Summarizes key interface issues: lack of transfer, poor affordance, and mode complexity.

Design Solutions for Digital Watch Interfaces

Cost Estimation for Interface Improvements

Estimates development costs for new features like control knobs and gestures.