Iteration1. Video

Smart Home App — Case Summary

Role & Goal

UX Research, UX/UI Design.
Aim: Create a Smart Home app that helps people easily manage multibrand devices in one place, stay secure, and control their home remotely while reducing unnecessary costs.

Key user pains in Smart Home

• Cross-brand device complexity – apps often focus on a single brand.

• Complex scenes – unclear how they work.

• Unclear device status – on/off, is it info button or scenario.

• Fear of using devices – worry about breaking or misconfiguring.

• Accessibility & ease of use – large buttons, voice control, high contrast.

• Assistant – guidance and step-by-step help.

  
  It is not only an AI Assistant. It is a Companion for Personalisation.

  
  

Process

1. Key players analysis (Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung, Alexa, Ecobee)

   PDF ↓

   
   

2. User research: surveys & interviews.
   
   A Google Forms survey to

   • Understand daily usage scenes - morning, night, leave home, back home, vacation, save energy

   • Identify features users value most - scenes-automations, voice assistant, remote control - smart plugs off, smart allerts.

     
     

3. Reveal obstacles in usability - difficulty configuring and adapting to personal needs, unclear device status, too many steps, notification overload.
   
   User Personas.
   User flow.
   Emotional journey map.

   
   

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   
   

4. Design.
   Wireframes → Testing → Iteration → Prototypes

Key Insights after 1st iteration

• Buttons too small → need clear elements

• Terminology of scenes unclear → require explanatory labels

• Some scenes confusing → logic should be predictable

• Info overload → home screen minimalist

• Actionable vs informational items → visually separate

Design Decisions

• Onboarding

• Optimal cards size + AI search/assistant for accessibility

• Dashboard with information/personalization

• Simplified energy reports

• Security log visible (doors, alarms, leaks)

• Improved navigation

• All scenes above the fold

• Dark and Light modes

  
  

  
  

Main screen layout

• Separation of informational dashboard, scenes, and devices of the main room.

• On/off inside cards to reduce unnecessary switching, especially for devices like heating.

• Dots added — opens card menu.

• Reduced color noise in icons, originally multi-colored.

• Familiar devices like AC and lights shown on large cards with buttons.

• Technical terms replaced with universal ones, e.g., “Thermostat” → “Heating”.

Main issue

1. The thermostat was combined (Heating + AC).

   Later, because of parallel scenarios (for example, dehumidification or ventilation working at the same time as heating), it was split into two panels.

   I would like feedback from technical experts on modern best practices.

2. Button size for users with good and poor vision.

3. A small number of real respondents for this case.

Improvements

1. Panels divided into simpler sections

2. Reduced the amount of information visible on the home screen

3. Added visual indicators for key statuses

4. Ability to “pin” favorite devices or scenarios

5. Scenes made more understandable

6. Buttons enlarged, with visual elements for accessing device menus

7. Added additional visual hints and videos for non-technical users

8. Room information structured by categories: climate, security, lighting, multimedia

Outcomes

• In a small usability session (n=3), participants completed key tasks faster after the redesign. Quantitative validation is planned as a next step.

• "Now I can see the buttons — before they were too small to notice."

  "I can see which ones I can just switch off, and which ones I shouldn't touch without thinking."

  "Now I finally know what's heating and what's the AC."

  50% faster completion of simple task like "switch on/off the ligth in the main room" after the second iteration

Next Steps

• Devices Screen (limited time for this case)

• Behavior analytics

• Multilingual modes

Figma file →

Pitch Deck Series B. Simulated