Lutron Smart Home App
Role
Lead UX Designer, 7 Months
Team
Developer, PM, Senior Management
UX Researcher, Visual Designer
Tool
Diary Study, Workshops, Figma
Delieverable
57% increase of app satisfaction rate
0→I vision experience for new technology
End-to-end design process for an MVP
Activity Viewer is the first-phase MVP for Lutron' automation vision enabled by the new shade automation technology.
With Activity Viewer you can check shade automation movements and decide if you want it on.
You have an event 2:00-3:00 PM at Open Office East, check if the shade is going to interrupt?
Interact with the prototype to find out!
Lutron Shade sales hit a wall
because our shades' value isn't effectively
showcasing to customers
hence the business had 2 initiative:
Make Shades Smarter
➔ New Tech
Grow Market
➔ Expansion
Natural Light Optimization (NLO) is a technology
that automates shades using
User Input and Calculated Direct Sun Time
to optimize natural light and avoid glare
100
% Open
40
% Open
0
% Open
Sunrise
9:00 PM
NLO was only available for a small market
this expansion to Roller Shades and Commercial Sites
will more than triple the current market
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I worked with business stakeholders to translate the initiatives into project goals and strategies
Increase shade adoption by making shades feel smarter
Ship an MVP by early 2024
Create a vision experience based on understanding of how Residential and Commercial Occupants interacts with the new technology-NLO.
Deliver an MVP for NLO that is a good start for users.
Step 1
Explore
Learn how users interact with NLO
Step 2
Vision Experience
Vision an Occupant Experience
Step 3
Product Strategy
Chunk down to an MVP and influence strategy
Step 4
Design
Design the MVP and guard the scalability
Lutron has yet to explore how users experience NLO. Hence I conducted a large-scale diary study to research it systematically.
We mimicked the initially-envisioned experience that’s low-effort at users side and tested it on 20+ users (6 Residential Occupants, 10 Commercial Sites) for 2-3 weeks.
Dealers program NLO to the sites
Start
Direct Sun Time
End
Occupants simply turn NLO on or off
Natural Light Optimization
Based on programming
Both residential and commercial users like how once set up, NLO automatically took over 80% of their shade adjustments, fitting the mindset of "set it and forget it".
“I love how my shades are already opened when I get up and go to my living room”
a homeowner at a single home family
“… my monitor is not washed out in the afternoon now …”
a office building tenant, young working professional
The experience was designed to create an simple automation experience. However, the simplicity causes issues due to not being spontaneous enough.
Obstruction to Individual Shade
Weather Integration
Temperature Detection
Working Hour
Room Purpose
I successfully proposed the concept of automation vision to business stakeholders. As it is user-centric, scalable, and fits business initiative.
I proposed to extend the vision from NLO to the whole Automation as users view all self movements as Automation. With this expansion, we can systemize the experience and achieve the following opportunity:
Open up the door to the initiative to create smarter products
Allow the 2 user pain points Feel Informed and Right Amount of Control
I advocated for the users by hosting JTBD read-out workshops. In them I empathized the team of business and development with compelling user stories.
I hosted ideation around a HMW thats inclusive of automation and NLO. The ideation workshops intentionally includes UX, dev, and business to make sure all functions are heard.
HMW
offer users an effortless automation that's at the balance of being
unobtrusive and attentive
Position Personalization
Override Alert
Flexible Time
Event Editor
Activity Log
Timer for All
Natural Show Integration
Time Clock +
Automation by Area
Effortless light and shade experience
combining Automation and Manual
I converged the ideated solutions
and created a light and shade control vision to
align the team and guide the decisions
I created Lutron App structure
to guide future Occupants Experience
by combining JTBD and Ideated Solutions
I collaborated with developers and PMs to create a product strategy that balances business goals, dev effort, and user value.
Lutron App Structure for Automation Vision
To communicate and align user needs, business goals, and development requirements
UX
Blend the ideated features
Biz
Long-term Business goal to increase shade adoption by making shades smarter
Focus on Natural Light Default
Due to Team Resource Matching
Dev
Resource is balanced across Multi-Server, Core, and App
Start from NLO then NS
Build Enabler for a Unified Control
UX
Unify control across NLO and NS
Dev
Build Enabler across NLO and NS
Focus on Time Flexibility
Due to User Needs and Business Opportunities
UX
Suggested 3 features that users need most spontaneity
Biz
Weather integration is picked for another business initiative
2 Phases
Fit Enabler Development and Business Goal in Deadline
Biz
Ship and MVP by Feb 2024
Div
Core team needs time to work on enabler of area-based object structure
Explained the 1st phase design for NLO
in 3 prioritized JTBD
Activity Viewer aim to build trust to NLO for users by
➔ Informing users the automation details
➔ Letting users know they have ultimate control
JTBD 1: Trouble Shooting a Shade Movement
When a tenant asks me what is the reason to a specific shade movement
I want to be able to check what happened to the shade device
Because I want to be in control and can tweak if needed
1. Start from area
NLO by Area
Users' mental model is area-based
2. Go to the Shade Group
Shade Group Position
Showcase position without overwhelming users with numbers
3. Check the Shade Device
Numeric for Device
Show open percentage for each shade device
Opportunity
Allow tweaking the singular position instead of pausing NLO for the whole area
JTBD 2: Deciding NLO for an Area
When deciding if I want NLO on for an area
I want to know how the actual automated movements will look like
Because when giving out control, I want to make sure I will like it
1. Go to “Living Room”
Toggle on/off
Users have the ultimate control over their shades
2. Check the Movements
Timeline
Users can see the movements through time of the day
2
JTBD 3: Planning NLO for Future
When there's an event that requires no interruption to the environment
I want to be able to check how NLO will automate the shades in the period
So tht I can proactively adjust the NLO movements
1. Check Bistro
2. Check Movements at 1 PM
Opportunity
Allow automation planning for future days
3
Opportunity
Allow deleting singular movement instead of pausing the whole NLO
During the project I demonstrated the following skillset and achieved impacts
System Thinking Strategize complex architecture across features
Interpersonal Skill Navigate new concepts through working closely with developers, PMs, and managements
Boundary-pushing Advocate for users
53%
growth of satisfaction rate
To learn how useful activity viewer is for shade automation
0-1 Vision
design strategy
Distilled critical pain point for a new technology and influenced the product strategy
MVP
on-time delivery
Launched a steady first step into the automation vision
