Research

I used comparative research with similar companies using SWOT analysis and user interviews with five people with an age range of 26-60 who have at least one smart device in their home.

Research Findings

I used Competitive Analysis between Google Home, Alexa, Apple Home, and SmartThings to analyze what these companies are doing right and where they can improve and how I can incorporate those into my design.

Strengths: Compatible with iOS and Android devices, voice control option, and the ability to connect different devices no matter the manufacturer.
Weaknesses: Subscription prices vary, data collection from these devices can be seen as invasion of privacy, and the potential of slow response times from commands.
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Interview Findings: Five out of five people I interviewed have at least one smart device, with all of them interacting with a device at least once a day. Three participants are open to buying more smart devices in the future.

Project Goals

Understanding the business and user goals, as well as technical considerations, I was able to come up various factors that are needed in the product as well as limitations that could arise.

Define

Currently people who own multiple ecosystems of smart home devices find it tedious to go to multiple apps to control them. This is because devices connected to an ecosystem cannot communicate with the other. As a result, they become overwhelmed on how to control their devices.

Based on research of similar apps and the interview findings, I created a sitemap of the app; which then lead to the user flow for more a specific journey.

The findings from interviews and research, I was able to come up with two personas that visualizes the diverse group of people this product would impact.

Design

I sketched out layouts and digitally created wireframes of the one that I think would have worked the best. I created a simple prtotype and used the same participants as the interview in order to gain early design feedback.

When coming up with the brand name, I wanted it to be synonymous with home. I landed on Haven and used a text logo in the MADENZ font for a technological and futuristic feel. I chose a warm color palette of orange and blue for a warm feeling for the user.

Based on user testing, not many changes needed for high fidelity. I encorporated the logo, colors, and UI elements to create high fidelity mockup.

Test

I created a prototype from my high fidelity design in Figma. This prototype was sent out to the same participants as in the interview and first testing. All participants were able to complete the task within 15 minute time frame with no errors.

• Open app from home screen
• Create account
• Add new devices
• Add devices to a room

Based on user testing, not many changes needed for the final deliverable; I updated the prototype to make it a smoother experience for users who try it out.

Conclusion

This project was another opportunity to experience all the steps in the process of both UX and UI as a sole designer. However, as a sole designer with limited experience, it could be challenging at times. Throughout this I was able to grow my design skills more though I feel like I would still need more experience in order to build more confident skills. I ended up enjoying the process of the research portion, including conducting interviews and using methods to compare similar companies in order to ideate what would make this product stand out.