FROG DESIGN × IKEA · SMART HOME
FROG DESIGN × IKEA · SMART HOME
Smart home experience
Smart home experience
Smart home experience
For a multinational furnishings company based out of Sweden.
For a multinational furnishings company based out of Sweden.
How can “Home” become the center of the smart home experience? Today’s smart products for the home are tech-driven and designed with early adopters in mind. Our work was to democratize the smart home — inclusive of different archetypes of people, working well across devices, and making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
How can “Home” become the center of the smart home experience? Today’s smart products for the home are tech-driven and designed with early adopters in mind. Our work was to democratize the smart home — inclusive of different archetypes of people, working well across devices, and making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
MY ROLE
MY ROLE
I drive the UX foundations of the next generation platform and led a team focused on shipping new products, features and improvements to market through the current native application for Android and iOS.
I drive the UX foundations of the next generation platform and led a team focused on shipping new products, features and improvements to market through the current native application for Android and iOS.
THE ASK IN 2018
THE ASK IN 2018
To scale a system primarily designed for lighting to include products and features across different parts of the home — becoming a true home ecosystem that supports people in their everyday life.
To scale a system primarily designed for lighting to include products and features across different parts of the home — becoming a true home ecosystem that supports people in their everyday life.
Challenges
Challenges
Challenges
01
01
Limited capabilities within legacy platform
Limited capabilities within legacy platform
02
02
App architecture was catered towards lighting
App architecture was catered towards lighting
03
03
IoT’s limitations in stability, delays and home topology
IoT’s limitations in stability, delays and home topology
04
04
Introduction of the global CHIP standard across all IoT products
Introduction of the global CHIP standard across all IoT products
In the last few years we’ve been sprinting
In the last few years we’ve been sprinting
In the last few years we’ve been sprinting
We’ve taken 10 new products to market and many many new features. My responsibilities and role have grown over time — from launching Smart Blinds in the application to leading UX structure and foundations for the next generation ecosystem and the future of the home.
We’ve taken 10 new products to market and many many new features. My responsibilities and role have grown over time — from launching Smart Blinds in the application to leading UX structure and foundations for the next generation ecosystem and the future of the home.
Streams of work
Streams of work
Streams of work
What started as an app design project quickly expanded to include working with third-party integrations and voice, UX discussions with platform architects and finally designing foundations for the next generation system.
What started as an app design project quickly expanded to include working with third-party integrations and voice, UX discussions with platform architects and finally designing foundations for the next generation system.
The ecosystem
The ecosystem
The ecosystem
30+ types of connected products in market and many in development. Designing and building for one-off smart products is relatively simpler than building an ecosystem of integrated products and services that work well with each other: they need to work well independently, with each other, and with third-party integrations.
30+ types of connected products in market and many in development. Designing and building for one-off smart products is relatively simpler than building an ecosystem of integrated products and services that work well with each other: they need to work well independently, with each other, and with third-party integrations.
50+ countries and 70+ languages
50+ countries and 70+ languages
A global ecosystem where localization, cultural context, and household archetypes all shape the product experience.
A global ecosystem where localization, cultural context, and household archetypes all shape the product experience.
Zigbee standard
Zigbee standard
Designing for products that must work reliably across networking constraints, integrations, and evolving standards.
Designing for products that must work reliably across networking constraints, integrations, and evolving standards.
Expectation
Expectation
Reality
Reality
Back when I was tinkering with IoT experiments at CMU, I was pumped about getting products to talk to one another, inform each other about their states, and adapt to the situation the user is in. This is the real value of IoT: predicting and adapting based on different users’ needs.
Reality hits when you’re working with a company that’s new to cutting-edge technology. Business needs dictate what grows, so we worked with bare minimum MVPs in the legacy system. The foundational work for the next generation system, however, allows for more flexibility — and as a designer, I have a seat at the table in architectural forums and business meetings.
Back when I was tinkering with IoT experiments at CMU, I was pumped about getting products to talk to one another, inform each other about their states, and adapt to the situation the user is in. This is the real value of IoT: predicting and adapting based on different users’ needs.
Reality hits when you’re working with a company that’s new to cutting-edge technology. Business needs dictate what grows, so we worked with bare minimum MVPs in the legacy system. The foundational work for the next generation system, however, allows for more flexibility — and as a designer, I have a seat at the table in architectural forums and business meetings.
Smart product glimpses
Smart product glimpses
Smart product glimpses
Smart blinds: a glimpse
Smart blinds: a glimpse
A glimpse into how lighting, privacy and everyday home moments shaped the smart blinds concept work.
A glimpse into how lighting, privacy and everyday home moments shaped the smart blinds concept work.
Smart SOUND: a glimpse
Creating a balance between ease of access, simple setup and the Sonos experience — not another music app, but a minimal way to control the home sound experience.
UX structure
UX structure
UX structure
You’ve heard of smart lights, smart speakers, smart blinds, and more — but no one has cracked a really great experience where 30+ smart devices work together to create ambience for people at home. I’m honored to define UX foundations in a path-breaking program like this one, shipping and testing in market many times over the last few years.
The challenge for the UX structure: create a structure that makes the experience of living with smart devices meaningful to everyone in the home. This means accounting for multiple device types, modes of interaction, varying needs across people in the home, added security for certain products, and the limitations and errors that still come with IoT.
You’ve heard of smart lights, smart speakers, smart blinds, and more — but no one has cracked a really great experience where 30+ smart devices work together to create ambience for people at home. I’m honored to define UX foundations in a path-breaking program like this one, shipping and testing in market many times over the last few years.
The challenge for the UX structure: create a structure that makes the experience of living with smart devices meaningful to everyone in the home. This means accounting for multiple device types, modes of interaction, varying needs across people in the home, added security for certain products, and the limitations and errors that still come with IoT.
UX Structure
UX Structure
Rooms, grouping, navigation and more
Rooms, grouping, navigation and more
Interaction across interfaces
Interaction across interfaces
Phone, tablet, voice, remote.
Phone, tablet, voice, remote.
Key flows and microinteractions
Key flows and microinteractions
Biggest challenges and solutions across the project
Biggest challenges and solutions across the project
UX writing & localization
UX writing & localization
The challenges that come with translation into 70 languages
The challenges that come with translation into 70 languages
Transitions
Transitions
The beauty of interstitial states
The beauty of interstitial states
Designing for all
Designing for all
Designing for different archetypes, abilities and geographies.
Designing for different archetypes, abilities and geographies.