Watch Face connection icon

1409

I think the BT icon was used by most since it's easily recognizable. I'm using it on my own watchface but am planning on changing it to something else. I'm thinking the "chain link" metaphor might work where you have two links connected.

One thing to consider is if you plan to put the watchface in the store, you'll want something easily understood by users. Today, the BT symbol is very common on watchfaces, and if you change it to something else, your 1st 10 reviews could be "can you add a BT icon?"

I see that my icon was not presented quite as expected. (just next to the "Hello" as a dot with three arcs above.

Googling things like 'connection icon' returns icons using that symbol, chains and transmitting masts most frequently. My plan is to have quite some screenshots and describe why using another icon by text. I have seen enough postings from people trying to connect their watches as ordinary bluetooth devices to encourage any to do the same.

(By my philosophy using the ordinary bluetooth icon will cause such misunderstandings.)

I have thought about chains and other icons but to be able to keep the icon as small as possible, yet recognizable favours this icon so far)

//geirme

I actually agree on that and is heading for a chain-like icon from now on. I think this after all is the best choice

//geirme

A chain like icon is common for something like a "link" (like the url for a website).

I for one, wouldn't associate that with a BT conntection to a mobile device.

Why don't you want to use the BT icon that is the norm for watchfaces here?

If are having problem finding an image that looks good for the icon, one of the common methods used is to do your icons as a custom font. You map a character to one of the icons, and display it with your "icon font". That way it's also easy to change the color of an icon. For example, when the phone isn't connected, you change the icon color to red. Using a bitmap of each icon and each state makes things a bit more difficult.

For example, here is my current "icon font". If I want do display the BT icon, I simply use
dc.drawText(x,y,iconfont,"P",Gfx.TEXT_JUSTIFY_XXX);
and things like the battery are "B", and alarm is "A", and the current color is used to display them.. You can see I have a few place holders if I want to add a new icon for something...

The thing is that (at least for me) the connection is established when the watch is being connected to the GCM app, and not as a ordinary Bluetooth device.

Bluetooth is the communication link between the two, but in my opinion this could have been wifi, USB or even IR...

This is why I'm searching for a better alternative than the 'Bluetooth B' icon.

Regards,
//geirme