This document discusses designing connected products. It begins by introducing connected products and some examples. It then discusses key aspects of designing connected products, including extending their value proposition through digital business models, evolving products through connectivity, new user experience models, and designing for interusability across devices and platforms. The document provides methods for conceptualizing connected products, prototyping interactions, and emphasizes the responsibility of designers to consider what values will be promoted through connected products.
2. 2
Hello
I’m a freelance designer,
a co-author and a co-founder.
rain cloud
method.com raincloud.eu senseye.io iotacademy.org designingconnectedproducts.com
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New user experience model
Smartphone model
1. Find/pick up device
Start the computer
2.Unlock & login
3.Launch app or browser
Login
Navigate bloated website
4.Tell it what product
5.Add to basket
Connected product model
1. Find/pick up device
Start the computer
Unlock & login
Launch app or browser
Login
Navigate bloated website
2.Tell it what product
Add to basket
2000s 2010s Next
Desktop model
1. Find/pick up device
2.Start the computer
3.Unlock & login
4.Launch app or browser
5.Login
6.Navigate bloated website
7.Tell it what product
8.Add to basket
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Newspaper article
Image: Dan Hill
Press release Sketch the box /
Sketch the 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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Connected products are more complex.
Connectedness
means users have
to think about
system models.
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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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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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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.
Smartphone Dependent on smartphone for full
functionality.
Independent from smartphone.
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Consistency is a two-way street.
One one hand:
Platform conventions
On the other:
Consistency across
your touch points
Android: Contextual menu
iOS: Separate screen
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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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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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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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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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Design responsibility
The values that drive connected products
will pervade our everyday:
Our power tools, our food processors,
our elevators and our vending machines…
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Design responsibility
We need to think about what these values
are, and not forget about the whimsical,
the inefficient, the serendipitous, the
beautiful.