Adapting UX Design Principles To Smart Homes
What Is UX Design?
User-Experience (UX) Design is a type of research-driven design focused on improving how humans interact with a digital system, such as a website or an app.
It is the process of creating a positive user experience that meets a user’s needs.
The role of a UX designer is to make a product or service usable, enjoyable, and accessible. While many companies design user experiences, the term is most often associated with digital interfaces.
Is It Possible With Smart Home Control Apps?
Outside of high-budget projects (typically) with entirely bespoke touch-screen interfaces, it is reasonable to assume that the smart home user-experience will be controlled by the manufacturer.
While the uprise of quickly programmable control systems has provided lower cost options for users, it has its pit falls. There are however practical ways to circumvent the use of a control system’s touch-screen interface completely.
By utilising tactile controls in an appropriate context, or even better, automation; and adapting a wealth of well researched UX design principles to their operation; the user will be awarded an enhanced experience in circumstances where the touch-screen interface is less suitable for their needs.
UX Design Principles + How To Adapt Them
User-centricity
This goes a little deeper than putting the users needs first. To create a truly user-centric system you need to understand the problem you are trying to solve, completely. This requires carrying out the necessary research, asking the right questions, and delving a little further into the users’ mental modal of how the system might solve their problem.
Understanding the users’ assumptions is an important piece of the puzzle.
Consistency
Keeping controls consistent with systems the users already have experience with will significantly lower the learning curve, and make the smart home feel more intuitive. Understanding if the user has already had exposure to a smart home system is paramount to this principle. You shouldn’t copy their existing system, unless it fits perfectly and they’re happy with it, but you should take design cues from control layouts, automations, and other functionality.
More commonly you will be interacting with a user who doesn’t have personal experience with smart home technology. It’s possible though that they have had some exposure in office environments, or with IoT devices; and you can even take inspiration from the way their standard light switching is laid out in their previous home.
Hierarchy
As a general rule of thumb, you should keep more important elements at the top of a control interface. ‘Important’ is the operative word here. The top button on that light switch doesn’t have to be All On; if the user will utilise the room in a mood light setting more often than not, then the mood setting is a more important element.
The only deviation to this rule is outlined by the Serial Position Effect, whereby users have a propensity to best remember the first and last items in a series. Utilise this effect where design inconsistency is required, and needs to be memorable. For example, where providing personalised tactile control on a switch in a bedroom.
Context
Context considers the circumstances in which an interface will be used, and how environmental factors might impact the experience. When designing a system, ask yourself where might the user be when using the interface? What are they likely doing, or trying to do? What kind of emotional, or physical, state might they be in?
For example, a powder room in an entertaining area may not be an appropriate space for a multi-function switch, despite there being multiple accent lights, an exhaust fan, and a speaker. The expectation would likely be that the speaker is already operating when appropriate, and the lights and fan should turn on/off to an appropriate scene with a single button press, or from a sensor.
User Control
People make mistakes. What will happen if the user presses the wrong button? Is it simple for them to then select the right button, or will they need to reverse the first function before continuing. The principle of user control revolves around helping users correct or reverse errors.
Lighting scene control is a common example. It is often pertinent to force lights intended to be off to an off state as part of a scene, rather than simply increasing/decreasing the level of the lights you want on. This will help the user correct mistakes if the wrong scene is pressed first.
Accessibility
Consider who will use the system, often it won’t just be the home owners. Think about service staff, and guests too. They will come in a variety of ages, and abilities. Accessibility is about making the smart home appropriately operable by everyone.
Are service staff able to do everything they need to do without access to a smart home app? Can guests get to the bathroom down the hall in the middle of the night without blinding themselves with bright light, or even worse, turning on a scene that wakes the entire house up?
Usability
Users won’t have a good experience if their smart home doesn’t feel easy to use. There are five ways to enhance usability:
Learnability - How quickly can users learn how to use everything?
Efficiency - Can the users execute all functions quickly?
Memorability - When users return to their smart home after time away, is it easy for them re-familiarise themselves?
Errors - How many errors do users make when using their smart home, and can they recover from them quickly?
Satisfaction - Is it pleasant and enjoyable to use, or are certain experiences frustrating?
Wrap Up
Adapting UX design principles to smart home design can lead to more intuitive, user-friendly, and personalised experiences. The principles detailed are the fundamentals, and just scratch the surface; If you’re a smart home systems designer I strongly encourage you to read more about UX design principles and apply them to your process.
Remember, a smart home needs more than just ‘smart’ technology. It needs a well-designed system that integrates with the way the home owner and other residents live.
A genuinely ‘smart’ home reduces unnecessary technology interaction by automating repetitive tasks, and is available within arms reach with all the necessary bells and whistles when they’re needed. Let’s work together to create better smart homes that enhance the human experience, rather than distracting from it.