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How is design for IoT different?
October 2015
Designing Connected Products
Thanks to: Claire Rowland

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I’m Martin.
I’m a freelance designer,
co-author and co-founder.
marcharlier ltd.

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Superflux / IoT Academy
A platform for
IoT community
projects

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4rain cloud

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Some of the contents…
What’s different about UX for IoT?
Technology of connectivity
Product & service definition & strategy
Design methods for connected products
Industrial design & Interface types
Prototyping
Cross-device interactions
Responsible IoT design
Designing with data

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It’s not just UI and ID
There are many
areas design needs
to address when it
comes to connected
products.

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Value
proposition
Conceptual
model
Interaction
model
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From value prop to interaction model
What does it do? How does it work? How do I use it?
Images: Instructables, How It Works Daily

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Productisation
What does it do?
Why would I want it?

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What is your product doing better?
Electricity
as enhancement.

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What is your product doing better?
Connectedness
as enhancement.

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Are you building a product or a tool?
Product Tool

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A products solves a specific problem.
Nest don’t talk
about connectivity,
just about how it is
a better smoke
alarm.

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A tool puts the onus on the user
A connected socket
requires the user to
solve their own
problem.

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A niche example from Belkin Wemo
This is a product.
- Clear benefit
- Focussed context

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Design methods
Design can help
develop and focus
the value proposition
early on.

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Newspaper article
Credit: Dan Hill
Press release Sketch-the-box /
sketch an advert
• Can this service, idea or
product be plausibly
conveyed?
• Are we able to convey the
idea in simple terms?
• Forces you to clearly and
simply convey the value and
why anyone should care.
• Can be iterated quickly.
• Why should people care?
• How do you persuade them?
• How can you proof your
claims?

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Conceptual model
How does it work?

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Non-connected products are conceptually quite simple.
Image: Rebecca Demarest

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Connected products are more complex.
Image: Rebecca Demarest

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Connected products are more complex.
Connectedness
means users have
to think about
system models.
Images: Rebecca Demarest

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Extra stuff to think about
Connects via your WiFi
No hub
Connects via ZigBee
Comes with a hub
Connects via ZigBee
Requires a hub, but
doesn’t come with one

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Explaining the system model
Images: Lowes, Apple
You might need
to explain your
system model.

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Explaining the system model
Or develop a
really good way
to simplify it.

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Interaction model
How do I use it?

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Interusability
Cross-Platform Service User Experience: A Field Study and an Initial Framework. Minna Wäljas, Katarina Segerståhl, Kaisa
Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila, Harri Oinas-Kukkonen MobileHCI’10: http://bugi.oulu.fi/~ksegerst/publications/p219-waljas.pdf

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Interusability
Composition
Consistency
Continuity

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A tale of two thermostats…
Images: Tado, British Gas
Subset of functions on device, full set in app. Mirrored functions across device & app.

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A tale of two thermostats…
Images: Tado, British Gas
Subset of functions on device, full set in app. Mirrored functions across device & app.
Hardware Simpler & cheaper to design & make. More expensive due to UI.
Iteration &
updates
Quick and easy to iterate the product,
app stores, developer community.
Can be tricky. Firmware updates,
physical controls.
User identity Smartphone can act as proxy for user
identification - analytics.
Everyone can use the thermostat, but
less easy to learn about users.
Smartphone Requires charged & connected
smartphone.
Works independent from smartphone.

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Interusability
Composition
Consistency
Continuity

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Consistency is a two-way street.
One one hand:
Platform conventions
On the other:
System consistency
Android: Contextual menu
iOS: Separate screen

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Top priority: terminology
However different the UIs,
identical functions or
settings must have the
same name.
Consistent use
of terminology

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Consistency
Secondary colour
Typeface,
terminology,
accent colour
Accent colour
CMF
Paper insert as a means to
delay decision making.
This is hard across physical/digital
development timelines.

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Consistency is a two-way street.
Platform
conventions
vs.
System
consistency
Rotate bezelTap up/down arrows
“Click”

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Interusability
Composition
Consistency
Continuity

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Image: Kei Noguchi via CC licence 35
Continuity
Coherent flow of
interactions and
data across
devices.

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Hard because:
1. Latency and reliability of the
network.
2. Battery powered devices that
only connect intermittently.

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Hard because:
1. Latency and reliability of the
network.
2. Battery powered devices that
only connect intermittently.

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Reliability
‘It’s a bit glitchy but it’s OK, you
just have to be in the room at
the same time’.
Actual review of a connected home system

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Has my action been executed?
Delays &
interruptions
mean there is
a third state
between on
and off.
Image: Rebecca Demarest

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Option 1
A little white lie to
make it feel
smooth.
Showing the action as executed
before it really has.

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Option 2
Transparency at
the expense of a
more complex UI
flow.
Communicating what is actually
happening.
On
In progress
Off

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Option 2
Transparency at
the expense of a
more complex UI
flow.
Communicating what is actually
happening.
Connected
In progress
Done

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Hard because:
1. Latency and reliability of the
network.
2. Battery powered devices that
only connect intermittently.

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Intermittent connectivity
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2 min delay
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UIs might need
timestamped
data because
they may be
out-of-sync.

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Prototyping
Low Fi prototyping

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Experience prototyping
Video is a great tool
to prototype and
explore connected
products.
Useful prototyping techniques:
Media from the future
Storyboards
Physical props
Wizard of Oz
Video prototyping

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These are NOT video prototypes.
(These are concept videos…)

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30 minute prototype for a connected herb garden sensor.

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Sketch-A-Move: Slightly more elaborate. Both a demonstration and an exploration.
http://www.superflux.in/work/sketch-move

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Sketch-A-Move: Behind the scenes
http://www.superflux.in/work/sketch-move
Capture imagination and inspire the team
Matthias Kranz, et. al http://www.eislab.fim.uni-passau.de/files/
publications/2006/SketchAMove_preprint.pdf

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Stills compositions with narration
More info: http://www.cooper.com/journal/2008/12/economizer

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A storyboard or video prototype can guide the tech requirements
More info: http://www.cooper.com/journal/2008/12/economizer
Technology
requirements
Technology
requirements
Technology
requirements
Technology
requirements

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Complex systems
It gets complex very quickly.

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Interoperability
Every connected
device will connect
to multiple systems
and services.
New connected light
bulb.
Connect to:
• Lighting system?
• Security system?
• Both?

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Interoperability
alarm video
lighting heating
temp.schedule
security
Image: Claire Rowland

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Interoperability
alarm videotemp.schedule
schedule
security
controls
lighting baby appliancessafety
energy
smoke medicine
controls
heating
Image: Claire Rowland

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Interoperability
Designers will
need to help users
(and the industry)
make sense of
complex systems.
Services
Devices
Device groups
Locations
Time
User location & activities
…

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A word of caution

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Error proof power tools

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“Guided cooking for guaranteed success”

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Reducing “time to destination”

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Smart vending machine

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Design responsibility
Connected products will reach
far deeper into our everyday
lives than anything before.
We should be careful what
values drive them.

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Thank you!
@marcharlier
m@marcharlier.com
www.designingconnectedproducts.com
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