Among the fevered anticipation of tech nerds and lovers of all things i, Apple released its first watch in April 2015. Lauded by reviewers as "the most ambitious, well-constructed smartwatch ever seen", the nifty device is a big step for apple into the functional jewelry market. Apart from customizable options at different price ranges, like interchangeable watch straps, the feature-packed wrist watch includes retina display screens, fitness software, iPhone compatibility and connectivity (if you have an iPhone 5 or later, anyway) and, maybe most importantly, hundreds of juicy new apps.

This is exciting for software developers, entrepreneurs and designers because it opens a whole new market for iOS apps, with new applications and challenges. At first glance, designing an app for such a small screen may appear difficult, but for the right designer, the new limitations will trigger some creative thinking and design innovation worthy of such cutting edge technology. To give our app designers a small head start, we've compiled a list of tips to get you on the right track with your Apple Watch app designs.

Think small for big impact

This one might seem pretty obvious – given the tiny amount of space, your design should be clear and impactful with absolutely no unnecessary clutter. Always remember that the goal of an Apple Watch app is to be instantly comprehensible through just one glance at the user's wrist. Apple's first generation software isn't yet without its kinks, one of which is a long loading time for data-heavy content, so keep images to a minimum, but be careful not to chase high responsiveness at the cost of an engaging design.

Here's some good news though: contrary to other devices, there is no margin space limitations with the Apple Watch – meaning the world (or at least, the watch screen) is your oyster. And to make things extra convenient, Apple also released a specifically designed sans-serif typeface which will help any text be as legible as possible.

Go with simple colors

Apple recommends keeping the background color of your app black, as this will seamlessly blend with the edges of the device and help make your text more legible. As with everything in Apple Watch design, keep your other colors simple; avoid too many contrasting colors or colors that are too bright. For consistent brand identity choose some of the main colors from your general style to help target existing consumers, and remember to define a "key color", which will be used in app notifications.

Create a great icon

Unlike smartphones, the Apple Watch does not have text labels for apps, meaning it's crucial your icon is easily distinguishable from those around it. Note that the Apple Watch uses circular rather than square icons for its apps, so remember to make your icon similar to any icon you design for smartphone use, to create consistency of design and a brand identity across all platforms. Finally, remember that the Apple Watch comes with two different screen sizes, so make sure your icon works for both. To make sure you've got the right size, refer to this handy table while creating your design, or use this Apple Watch icon template.

Minimalistic navigation

The Apple Watch screen is pretty tiny, compared to a smartphone. So tiny in fact, that navigating it in the way we're used to, by swiping from screen to screen, let alone zooming with two fingers, simply isn't practical. To combat that, the Apple Watch comes with two entirely new navigation systems. The first is Force Touch, which has the screen differentiate a user's intentions depending on how hard they tap it, referred to as either a tap or hold. The second is the Digital Crown, which works by twisting it like a traditional watch crown, but instead of setting the time you zoom in and out of content without blocking the view with your fingers.

With these two new ways of navigation, it's important to keep your menus and navigation hierarchies simple – you don't want users endlessly tapping and zooming to try finding the info they're after. As with all other points for the Apple Watch – the key is to do more with less.

Enhance UX through animation

Animations in apps have always been popular to add difference and beautiful detail to the user experience, and the Apple Watch is no different in this regard. Because of the limited space, go easy on the detail, make sure your animations are subtle and focus only on the main elements you want to draw attention to. As with images, be mindful of the watch's slower loading speed and make sure your app functionality isn't compromised by unnecessary data-heavy features.

The jury is still out on whether or not the Apple Watch will become the next big thing in tech must-haves, but right now, the excitement is palpable. Regardless of its future, the new platform allows for some exciting new design opportunities, and the chance for budding designers and start-ups to rub shoulders with industry giants as the new territory is explored by everyone. Just remember, with the Apple Watch it's all about using strict limits to push the boundaries of what we thought possible.

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Written by Divya Abe on Friday, July 17, 2015

Divya Abe is an expert graphic designer ready to share her knowledge with the crowd. Besides spending quality time on the internet she enjoys anything to do with cats. Get in touch via Google+.