by Turo
posted on February 23, 2016
We’re excited to introduce Turo for Apple Watch, which launched last Thursday in the App Store.
Turo for Apple Watch provides Turo owners with shortest path ever to accept a trip: just a couple taps from a notification. The Watch app empowers travelers and owners alike to easily manage trips and requests, and to stay connected with each other on the go.
Tap the map when looking at your upcoming trip down the shore, and get turn-by-turn directions via the Maps app. Tap on “Messages” to double check where your host said to meet. Or call her instead, by tapping “Call”. Force touch on a trip to see your host’s photo, so you recognize her when she arrives with your delivered car.
Turo for Apple Watch makes the Turo experience super simple for Apple Watch users, and we can’t wait to hear your feedback so we can continue making improvements.
Our journey to version one
As lead designer, I worked closely with iOS engineers (and fellow Apple aficionados) Matt and Linda to create the app from concept to release. We first built a Watch app this past summer, when we constructed a “mini” version of the Turo iPhone app.
However, when I got my own Apple Watch a few months later, I realized we’d gotten it all wrong.
In that early version, we focused entirely on the actual app. In actuality, the Watch user experience isn’t so much about the apps; the real magic comes from apps that provide useful notifications and “Complications,” which allow you to preview information related to an app on your watch face.
Better notifications are a key part of the Apple Watch user experience.
Reply directly to a new message from a notification, and you won’t have to open the Watch app at all. You can choose from our set of handy default replies, or add your own in the Turo bit on the Watch app on your phone.
You can also accept a trip request directly from a notification, so you’ll never miss any important details, like how much you’ll earn or a message from your guest.
As an added bonus on your iPhone, push notifications for new messages and trip requests are now interactive. Swipe to show actions, like replying directly to a new message, or accepting a trip.
For the quickest way to see your most important upcoming trip, we’ve included three Complications for the Modular and Utilitarian watch faces. Choose between the Utilitarian Long and Short Complications for a snippet of information, or the large Modular Complication for more details.
Our Complications also work with Time Travel, so spin that dial to preview all of your upcoming Turo adventures.
Speed is so crucial on the Apple Watch, so we took special care to make your experience as zippy as possible. For one, we prioritized loading content that’s visible, and de-prioritizing content that’s hidden at first. Our engineers are also proud to say that our new Apple Watch app is built completely in Swift, which is a programming language that makes apps run lightning-fast.
As a designer, I’m awe-struck with the possibilities of a platform so new; there’s still so much to be explored. I can honestly say that it’s been quite an adventure to create our first Apple Watch app here at Turo — for Linda, Matt, and me, it was truly a labor of love.
