By Brooke Glasford
In 2017, I wrote an article for this column about wearable technology (wearables) and the rise of, and adoption of wearables in the current marketplace. In retrospect, I realized that the populus may have been a bit slow on the acceptance and adoption of the technology. Six years later, however, the article is still very relevant, and I believe that we have become even more open to the adoption of marrying fashion and technology in a way that makes our lives easier.
(Fitness Trackers, image via, buzzfeed.com)
The easiest example of wearables would be the smart watches and fitness bands that we use – your Apple watches, Samsung watches and Fitbits. But wearables go much further than that, there are textiles woven with responsive fibers that can make you feel like you are being hugged, and rings that track your heartrate, sleep and blood oxygen levels.
Wearables are evolving at an incredible rate, in ways that we have not seen before. A couple weeks ago, I came across these new earbuds that Bose was releasing, that looked different—they honestly looked like a piece of jewellery, like an ear cuff. These headphones are called the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and they hook onto your ear rather than going into your ear canal, allowing you spatial awareness as you use the headphones.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, image via @bose instagram
I’ve had my eye on these headphones, because first off, they look strange and cool, and I’ll be the first to tell you I’m drawn to things that don’t look like everything else. My interest increased tremendously when I found out that Bose worked with an incredibly fine jeweller for the sole purpose of making this functional item beautiful enough to have them front and center on a red carpet.
For the Billboard Awards Women in Music red carpet in March, Bose marketing team made the inspired decision to marry wearable tech and wearable art by collaborating with LA based jewellery designer Maggi Simpkins. Simpkins adapted the design on the headphones, replacing the original plate on the earbud with solid gold, and designed diamond clusters to be placed atop it. Simpkins says about the project, “I am pretty blown away with how these turned out. I love when I am able to collaborate and play across industries – in this case mixing fine jewellery with technology!”
Bose x Maggi Simpkins Collaboration via MaggiSimpkins Instagram
There is such a thin line when it comes to the masses embracing a new concept, especially when it comes to technology. Product development must balance innovation with usability, especially when considering acceptance across different generations.
In design we refer to timing being in alignment with the ‘zeitgeist’ or ‘Spirit of the times’—simply put, what is going on culturally, religiously, or intellectually during a certain period. What Bose has done at this time with these headphones is what Google Glass couldn’t do in 2011 because they were way ahead of their time. While diamond encrusted earbuds are a far cry from what the regular person would be able to splurge on, the alliance of different industries for the betterment of a singular product is always a positive sign.
