For a wearable device to find success in the marketplace, people must be comfortable wearing it.  I developed the WEAR Scale (for Wearable Acceptability Range) to measure and predict the social acceptability of any wearable device or prototype. 

The WEAR Scale is a useful tool in predicting the acceptability of a wearable and can also be used diagnostically, to understand how and why a wearable may lack acceptance by consumers. During the prototyping stage, WEAR Scale data can provide valuable insights for guiding design decisions.   WEAR Scale findings can also inform marketing plans, for a smoother journey to mass adoption.

The WEAR Scale’s survey consists of 14 items to which study participants respond in reference to a particular wearable. The WEAR Scale was developed using DeVellis’s rigorous 9-step methodology, resulting in a valid and reliable measure for which I received an Iowa State University Research Excellence Award.

Kelly, N. (2016). The WEAR Scale: Development of a measure of the social acceptability of a wearable device (Doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University).