Smart home app
onboarding
experience redesign
COMPANY
Samsung Electronics
PRODUCT
SmartThings
Time
2024.03 (2 weeks)
My Role
UX designer
Overview
SmartThings is a smart home platform that allows users to manage and automate connected devices.
In 2024, during my UX design internship at Samsung, I collaborated with another UX intern to redesign the onboarding experience. My role involved identifying key pain points through competitor analysis and user journey mapping, and delivering improved onboarding solutions through wireframes and high-fidelity designs.
By improving customization, introducing contextual recommendations, and communicating the value of add-on features, the new onboarding flow provided a smoother, more emotionally engaging experience.
Main functions of SmartThings
View home status
Inform what's going on in your home and give tips
Control devices
Manage devices in home and give quick control
Life care
Help family members get easy and smart life
The goal of redesign
As the entry point to SmartThings, the onboarding experience plays a critical role in guiding users to set up their home and connect devices. More than just a functional walkthrough, we want to use it to provide a better first impression to inform the brand’s identity and attract users.
What are the main constraints?
Limited time
The concept was finished within two weeks, with rapid ideation and decision-making.
No access
to real user
The research relied on internal insights and competitor analysis with no user involved.
Focus on
concept
The design was handed over to HQ. Lack evaluation and communication with PO.
UX research
What are the user's painpoints?
After analysing the current flows and mapping out the user journeys, I figured out some major user painpoints. They can be categorized into two scenarios causing 3 types of emotions.
Connecting devices
User already have the device and want to connect to the app
Exploring the app
User don't have device and want to check what's inside
How do competitors get users onboard?
I analysed 10+ other smart home apps including Google Home, Apple Home, Ikea Smart Home, Xiaomi Home, Philips Hue, Huawei AI Life, etc, and got some inspirations by investgating differences between products.
Only SmartThings offers 'Life' service, which is a strategic advantage.
The “Life” service in SmartThings is a unique feature designed from device-centered to lifestyle-oriented. It introduces lifestyle services that cater to users’ daily routines and interests. By integrating devices and functions, “Life” service provides raises users’ awareness of the ecosystem, and also provides emotional value.
As most of other apps, the onboarding user flow is linear and frictional.
Some other apps provide proactive recommendations on the homepage.
design strategies
Redesign the user flow: more recommendation content to inform users the value and more welcoming for user to explore the features
Add customization and contextual recommendations based on users' lifestyle, we aim to increase the emotional values.
design output
Reflection
Working on this project was a rewarding experience. In a small sprint, I created a concept that received very positive feedback and was handed over to the headquarters UI team for further implementation. It was a great lesson to learn how to design in an agile process with a large corporate workflow.
If given more time, I would conduct a more comprehensive UX research, including user interviews and internal data analysis. Also, if given access, I wish I could collaborate more closely with the product owner and developers to refine and iterate it.
Overall, designing for the smart home experience was truly inspiring. It expanded my imagination for how IoT technologies can improve daily life and let me see the power of design to reshape people's way of living.
©DESIGNED IN 2024
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