Apple Watch apps: Five wishes for the software we'll soon be wearing

The first Apple Watch will be shipping in April — which means that, right now, developers are hard at work on the first generation of Apple Watch apps. Currently limited to actionable notifications (short and long looks), widgets (glances), and remote views (WatchKit apps), even though they're bound to the iPhone, there's still boundless potential.

I've tried several smartwatches and bands, seen most of what's on the market, and I've even been lucky enough to try on a demo Apple Watch back at the September event. That may be why I've been getting a lot of questions from developers and designers regarding what I'd like to see from Apple Watch apps. After thinking about it for a good long while, the list turns out to be pretty straightforward.

1. Keep it black

The Apple Watch's display is widely believed to be OLED. Unlike LCD, OLED is appreciably more energy efficient when displaying darker colors, especially black. Moreover, deep OLED blacks will better blend in with the watch's black bezels, making everything seem more open and expansive. Apple's human interface guidelines (HIG) is emphasizing black for a reason.

2. Keep it discreet

When a device is more intimate, its interactions have to be more important: Otherwise, it risks turning notification into interruption. Likewise, when a device is more visible, its interactions have to be more discreet: Otherwise it risks turning information into embarrassment. In other words, anything that could be contentious or inappropriate at a meeting or at a dinner party shouldn't come up in a short look.

3. Keep it brief

The Apple Watch has a small screen, making it ideal for quick bits of information and interaction. That same size makes it less than ideal, however, for long-form information or prolonged interactions. Show me the critical stuff first, let me tap in for more, and then let me use Handoff for anything truly in-depth so I can immediately pick up and continue whatever I need to on a bigger, more powerful device.

4. Keep it consistent

Looks and glances are each appropriate for different types of information. Looks are for temporary notifications; glances are for persistent data presentations. If you need something temporary, go with a look. If you need something persistent, go with a glance. Because, just like a notification shouldn't stay stuck on the screen, a widget shouldn't ever empty out or vanish. If I go to a glance, I want to see something.

5. Keep it simple

Interactions with WatchKit will be more reactive than active. We'll spend far more time responding to notifications than hunting around for third-party glances or apps. That means notifications will be the primary gateway to your software, and they'll need to be polished and perfected. Glances, by contrast, will only need to be considered when notifications truly won't persist enough, and WatchKit apps only when interactivity beyond a glass will suffice.

Bonus: No force-hamburgers

Force touch is a way to bring up extra, contextually-sensitive options. It's not an analog for the "hamburger button" — a way to bury a basement-full of unrelated functions. If you feel yourself force touching, and start smelling burgers, step away from the Apple Watch and head for the joint of your choice. Then come back and pare down the options to the essentials.

Bottom line

Come this April, I expect to be surprised and delighted by what I get to see and use on my wrist. WatchKit apps work in tandem with the iPhone, and the developers and designers who make iPhone apps have had years to hone their chops and their craft. Developers who aren't sure of what to do or how exactly it'll all work simply have to wait for the Apple Watch to hit the market, get one, and and then test and tweak their apps on it until they shine. Because when it comes to the Apple Watch, shipping great experiences is going to be far, far more important than shipping on launch day.