Fitbit
Eliminating 28 Tons of CO₂ Through a Sustainable Redesign
Time
September - December 2024
(10 weeks)
Tools
Figma, Miro
My Role
Product Designer & Researcher
(Worked together with the other 3 Designers
/ Researchers)
PROJECT SUMMARY
Finding the sweet spot between user experience and sustainability
→ This shift eliminates the need for a separate product line, cutting manufacturing waste and CO₂ emissions.
→ By building on the Charge 5’s proven infrastructure, we deliver a cost-effective, eco-conscious solution without compromising on fun or usability for kids.
HIGHLIGHTS
2.34%
reduction
in annual
CO2 emissions
with redesign
28.0 Tons of CO2
eliminated
from
Ace LTE manufacturing
Improved cost-efficiency
by leveraging Charge 5’s infrastructure
80% task success
by enhancing mobile app security with new feature
KEY COMPONENTS
Integrating the child-friendly Fitbit Ace LTE interface into the existing Fitbit Charge 5
Allowing kids for a seamless user experience, featuring engaging visuals, simplified navigation, and enhanced parental controls—all within the proven framework of the Fitbit Charge 5.
1
Providing customizable features tailored to parents’ and kids’ needs
Empowering parents to monitor and manage their children’s activity levels, goals, and progress
2
LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS
Uncovering the 84% Emissions Culprit in Fitbit Ace LTE’s Lifecycle
We conducted the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA, which revealed that according to the Fitbit Ace LTE Product Environmental Report (Google, 2024), manufacturing is the most environmentally harmful stage in the Fitbit Ace LTE’s life cycle, contributing 84% of its total carbon dioxide emissions.
Impact assessment
Using historical Fitbit sales as a benchmark, we estimated the Ace LTE’s carbon footprint and found out that…
32.86 Tons CO2
have been produced by Fitbit Ace LTE since June 2024
which equals to
making 328,600 plastic bottles
🔍 Estimating environmental impact with our redesign plan
📊 Impact beyond percentages
While 2.34% may seem small, this change sets a powerful precedent for reducing emissions in wearable tech manufacturing
Due to limited sales data, we estimated emissions using historical first-year sales of Fitbit devices—revealing that
🔍 Estimated Impact
Using past Fitbit sales, we projected that discontinuing the Ace LTE and reverting to the existing Charge 5 model could significantly reduce emissions and e-waste
🌱 Industry Signal
Eliminating redundant product lines can cut lifecycle emissions and reinforce eco-conscious decision-making in future tech development.
QUESTION WE ASKED OURSELVES
Another stakeholder we also need to consider…
After conducting the life cycle analysis, now guess what? We won't forget to include the user aspect toward our redesign. What do the users need? What do they actually want? Hence, we finally came up with questions…
How long do the users make use of their Fitbit products?
How much do the users value kids using health tracking device?
How do the users dispose their Fitbit after no longer use it?
USER INTERVIEWS
Our questions led us to conduct user interview of 4 people, which include both adults or teenagers who use Fitbit or any other smartwatch and parents who have children aged 7-12.
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
WRAPPING UP DIFFERENT ANGLES
Wrapping up the LCA and user interview, we synthesized the findings and finally figured the needs from different angles from the users and environment
🧍 USER NEEDS
Focus on
longevity
Promotes
healthy activity
without fostering
obsession
Prioritizes parental control
features that offer
comprehensive oversight
and customization
Prioritize durability over
battery longevity through
software update and
modular designs
🌱 ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS
Besides considering user needs, remember we also want the users to commit less to sustainability. Therefore, we also consider some redesign priorities for the product that
Eliminate excess
extraction
Removes necessity
to dispose the device
Reduces CO2 emissions
during manufacturing
PROCESS
After finding out users' and environment's needs, we finally conceptualized how we designed our interface to be more user friendly and adapt to Fitbit Charge 5 from Fitbit Ace LTE.
Sketches
KEY FEATURES
Due to time constraints, we moved straight to a high-fidelity prototype for clearer visualization and conducted quick user testing with 4 classmates for faster turnaround. Based on their feedback, we made minor refinements and finalized key features for both the watch and mobile app, including:
Fitbit Watch
1
Demo Game
Introducing game section transitioning from a full picture for each game into using symbol to adapt into a smaller screen
Contacts
Personalized contacts list where it only contains the family members that connect the smartwatch with their mobile app, enhancing privacy and focus toward children
2
3
Upgrade Transition
Once the parent approves the upgrade, the watch guides the child through the process. It prompts them to download the Fitbit app to track their own exercise data.
After upgrading, the interface transitions to the standard Fitbit Charge 5 layout.
Mobile App
Updating Fitbit through Mobile App
Introducing an additional page for parents to upgrade their children's Fitbit on the homepage
Introducing Accept Terms and Conditions before updating the Fitbit
1
2
Upgrade Details
Inform parents about the upcoming upgrades before presenting the terms and conditions page, as most people tend to skip reading it
Increasing Privacy
Enhancing privacy & credibility by adding password authentication ensures only parents can update their children's Fitbit
Adding instruction to delete the mobile app after update as it is no longer functional
3
4
Parental monitoring
Introducing Controls feature for the parents to closely monitor the child's usage and ensure safe and responsible electronic practices.
Allowing parents to set school times, Fitbit friends, and see overall Fitbit activity.
FINAL DESIGNS
Defining and wrapping up the key features led us to finalize the overall high fidelity wireframes, including another features, such as…
🧒 Children's side: Watch designs
⬆️ Time to upgrade…
👩🚀 Interactive avatar builder
📞 Enables communication with parents and siblings aged 18+
🏃♀️ Motivates kids to move with fun step-based games
🎲 Earn tokens through exercise games to unlock fun in-game rewards
🧑🧑🧒 Parents' side: Mobile app designs
🗒️ Reviewing important upgrade details and features
🔓 New feature unlocked: Customizable children watch's schedule
REDESIGN EFFECTIVENESS
Prevents carbon emissions by eliminating the need for a separate Ace LTE device
Easier to implement since the product is new and users aren't deeply attached to it yet
Potential risk: Increased sales could lead to more production and waste, offsetting sustainability gains
METRICS OF SUCCESS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Reduction in carbon emissions and electronic waste compared to the original Fitbit Ace LTE
ADOPTION RATE
Number of users opting to upgrade existing devices (e.g., Charge 5) instead of purchasing new child-specific devices
USER SATISFACTION
Positive feedback from parents and children during user testing (e.g., ease of use, personalization, familiarity with Charge 5)
ALIGNMENT WITH GOOGLE GOALS
Supports Google’s “zero waste to landfill” initiative and long-term sustainability targets.
FUTURE EXPLORATIONS
Test solutions on products with more established usage data and higher carbon footprints for deeper insights
Consider both sustainability and profitability in future evaluations, aligning with Google’s likely success metrics.