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DESIGNER OF THE MONTH: Christina Mercando, Ringly

April 10th, 2015 at 2:00am

There are two things that every millennial Fashionista loves—accessories and technology. For so long, however, wearable technology has not been, dare we say, “fashion friendly.”

…and then there was Ringly. What looks like a stunning cocktail ring that any Fashionista would love to wear actually doubles as a useable technology that notifies you of important calls, emails, messages and more. Sounds like a dream, right?

Christina Mercando is the mastermind behind this innovative and super fashionable technology. We caught up with Mercando as she discussed Ringly’s origins, the challenges she hopes her product solves and her thoughts on the future of wearable technology.

CollegeFashionista: Where did you go to school and what did you study?

Christina Mercando: I went to Carnegie Mellon and studied Fine Art and Human Computer Interaction (a combination of design, computer science and psychology).

RINGLY-Emerald

CF: You have a bit of a diverse resume—how do you think that helped you in starting Ringly?

CM: Prior to founding Ringly, I was VP of Product at Hunch, a social recommendation service intelligently connecting people to the things they love. Hunch was acquired by eBay in 2011, and I played a major role in improving the social shopping and merchandising experience across eBay.com. As I thought about my next challenge, I wanted to solve a problem in my own life and in the lives of my friends and colleagues and do so by making technology more useful and less obtrusive.

I learned so much about starting a company during my time at Hunch and every job I’ve had has taught me more about user behavior and user experience.

CF: Ringly is more than just a really fashionable ring—it is a smart accessory. For those who are not familiar with the product, can you tell them a little bit about what makes Ringly so special?

CM: To date, wearable technology remains conspicuous and is slow at addressing the female market. Broad consumer adoption in the space will heavily depend on aesthetics in order to thrive. Ringly creates devices that are simple, stylish and unobtrusive. We’re focused equally on the fashion and the technology of our products because we believe technology can be both beautiful and useful.

CF: What inspired you to create Ringly?

CM: I continued to miss calls and texts from my friends and family because my phone was buried in my purse and I hated leaving it on the table every time I went out. I also disliked feeling so dependent on and chained to my phone. I started to realize that a lot of my friends were having the same issue, so I thought to myself, “What if I could make my jewelry smart?” I got really excited about creating something that women would get excited about wearing, but could also help them feel less chained to their phone. When I looked at what was already in the market, there were a lot of devices that were designed to be unisex offerings and I couldn’t find anything that fit with my personal aesthetic.

CF: What was your first “aha” moment as an entrepreneur? 

CM: I knew I was on to something when people who knew what I was working on would email me every time they had a ‘Ringly moment’ – which was a time when they would miss an important call, text or meeting and could’ve used a Ringly.

Christina Mercando

CF: What are the biggest challenges you face?

CM: With a company like Ringly, there are a lot of moving parts.  We’re shaping and defining an entirely new category of jewelry and fashion accessories. Not only do we have to get the aesthetics right, we also have to test every aspect of the mechanical, electrical, industrial and software design to make sure it all remains coordinated.

CF: Who or what inspires the physical design of the Ringly?

CM: I wear a lot of jewelry, particularly rings, and I love gemstones. When picking stones for our first collection I decided to choose ones that reminded me of moments in my own life where I didn’t want to keep my phone out.  All the styles are named after those moments – Into the Woods, Stargaze, Daydream, Wine Bar and Dive Bar.

Ringly Rings Hi-Res Rhodium

CF: Where do you see the future of wearable tech heading?

CM: We see Ringly as the leading smart jewelry and accessories brand. We plan on launching new product lines and styles that make people’s lives easier, while helping them look good. Just like we own several different pairs of shoes to address certain situations and needs, different wearables will suit different purposes and lifestyles. You might wear a shirt that tracks your heart rate while you’re at the gym, a bathing suit that monitors sun exposure at the beach, or a ring that notifies you about an important message when you’re at work and out to dinner with your friends. As we start shifting the conversation from gadgets to clothing and accessories, the wearables industry, like fashion, will thrive on a diversity of offerings.

CF: Any advice for young people out there looking to break into the fashion and/or tech space?

CM: Stay focused and be great at one thing first. When you’re thinking about your company and your product 24 hours a day, it’s sometimes difficult to sort through all of the ideas and identify the ones that matter most. I’ve seen many companies make the mistake of spending too much time perfecting features that aren’t necessary. The core value should be ‘less is often more.’

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