Overview
Develco, a company specializing in smart devices, sought to create new solutions utilizing its technology. My team and I conceptualized a home safety app by bundling three of their smart devices—Smart Plugs, Window Sensors, and Smart Cables—into a cohesive system. This app was designed to function in the background, alerting users when they left home with doors or windows open, or potentially dangerous appliances still on. In some cases, the app would allow users to remotely turn off these devices, preventing fire hazards and providing peace of mind.
To validate the concept, we conducted Experience Sampling Management (ESM), asking participants multiple times a day about their concerns regarding forgotten appliances, unlocked doors, or open windows. The study confirmed a strong market need for such a solution.
My Role & Contributions
Information Architecture & UX Design
Designed the general layout and data hierarchy (sitemap) to ensure a seamless and intuitive user experience.
Created a low-friction onboarding flow to minimize user interaction while ensuring effective background monitoring.
Prototyping & User Experience
Designed high-fidelity, interactive prototypes of the app to showcase its core functionality and usability.
Focused on a minimalist, “set-and-forget” UX approach—users only receive notifications when necessary, reducing app fatigue.
Experience Sampling Research
Designed and executed an Experience Sampling Management (ESM) study, surveying users twice daily over a week to understand real-world concerns about home safety.
Found that 77% of users feared forgetting to lock doors/windows, and 23% worried about leaving electronic devices on.
This research directly influenced the app’s core functionality, ensuring it addressed actual user pain points.
Challenges & Solutions
Designing for a Background-First Experience
Unlike traditional apps, this product needed to function without active user interaction.
Solved this by designing an experience that only triggered alerts when action was needed, ensuring minimal disruption.
Validating User Needs Without Direct Interviews
Users might not accurately predict their own behavior in surveys.
To counter this, we used real-time experience sampling, capturing actual concerns at the moment they occurred.
Outcomes & Impact
This project showcased how smart home technology can provide peace of mind by addressing real user concerns—without requiring constant interaction.
Confirmed market need for a passive safety app through user research
Designed and prototyped a whitelabel solution, ready for integration with Develco’s smart devices
Created a seamless user experience, balancing automation with essential user control