The app that never existed till this day
PRISM+ aims to launch a line of air conditioners and needs a dedicated app for convenient control and user experience. The lack of a dedicated app makes it difficult for PRISM+ users to access their products, control and manage them, and receive updates and support. The objective is to design an app that allows users to control their air conditioning units from anywhere, anytime, through a user-friendly interface. The app will enhance customer satisfaction and increase the overall user experience.
My challenge
Designing a user-friendly and simple to use smart home app that meets the core needs of users, while balancing the inclusion of important features, without overwhelming them with too many options and creating a confusing experience.
Our goal
Our primary goal was to design an intuitive and flexible smart home app with a user-friendly interface. The app was designed to be simple and flexible, allowing users to easily navigate and control PRISM+ devices. The design was focused on meeting both user needs and business requirements for an efficient app.
Kicking off with research
Our design process started with research. We wanted to understand how people are using a smart home app today, what are their experiences and collect all data we can to help inform us on our design decision.
Understanding the current market
The competitive analysis of smart home apps showed that most apps offered similar features and functions. We was able to identify areas of improvements by observing the way users interact with the app and the features they offer, such as how they gather data insights and maintenance information for end-users. This analysis helped PRISM+ to differentiate and enhance their smart home app offering.
Recreating a brand new smart app
The first step is about definition. Setting project goals, understanding users and their pain points, and gathering as much data as possible to craft the design strategy.
Our high level goals:
To provide a user-friendly interface for controlling and monitoring air conditioners
To create a clean and minimalistic design, making the app fast and easy to navigate.
To provide data insights on energy consumption, helping users track and reduce their usage.
Our high level goals:
To provide a user-friendly interface for controlling and monitoring air conditioners
To create a clean and minimalistic design, making the app fast and easy to navigate.
To provide data insights on energy consumption, helping users track and reduce their usage.
Mapping out user flow
Feature identification through user flow helps to identify the different features and highlight areas for improvement. This mapping informs design decisions to enhance the overall user experience. We will be splitting this user flow into 3 different sections.
Getting design feedbacks
The team share the designs in PRISM+ and anyone in the company can give us feedback or vote for their favourite design. It also serves as a great place to have design discussion from a bird-eyes view.
PRISM+ Design system
It is a design system created to establish a common norm and language system for PRISM+ app. A consistent and organized system that enables individual systems to operate as one organism so that design can be consistent, intuitive and functional experience for the user.
Your aircon
Your controls
Personalised
Your routines
Your usage
Your insights
Maintenance
Fix it. Clean it. Wash it.
Learning outcomes
The app was well covered by online social media upon launch, helping to drive awareness of the new home appliances brand. This was a huge effort that involved a multitude of stakeholders across product areas within and beyond PRISM+, who all had to agree on a commonly defined taxonomy and overall user experience. The organization is still in the early stage of growth where they have yet to see the value of having a dedicated research team so at times, the team moves forward without having to validate hypotheses or test usability issues.