We conducted a usability research to assess user attitudes and behaviors when setting programmable thermostats

1. Programmable Thermostats
User Experience Assessment
Dhawal Mujumdar | Daniel Perry | Becky Hurwitz

2. Project Background
Problem
People cannot program their thermostats
Reason
People’s inability to properly program is due to
poor usability of thermostats
Our team conducted usability research to assess
user attitudes and behaviors when setting
programmable thermostats

3. Usability Research Methods
 Qualitative Interviews
 An Online National Survey
 Usability Tests

4. Qualitative Interviews
Performed 6 semi-structured qualitative interviews to establish a
context for how social and environmental conditions affected usage
behavior

5. Qualitative Interviews
I don’t touch it
because I don’t
understand it

6. Qualitative Interviews
I don’t touch it
because I don’t
understand it

7. Qualitative Interviews
Interviews were recorded and pertinent quotes and observations
were organized into an affinity diagram

8. Survey
We prepared a fifteen-question survey, which covered a range of
questions to determine behavior ranging from “who purchased the
thermostat” to temperature settings for heating and cooling

9. Survey
81 respondents from 10 states and 57 cities participated in a
national survey

10. Usability Tests
Usability tests were conducted on two different interfaces
with six different users. The two thermostats were selected to
take into account both button based and touchscreen
interfaces

11. Usability Tests
The thermostats were
placed on a wooden plank
on nails at approximately
4.5 feet from the floor. The
thermostats were taken to
users’ homes and set up
next to their existing
thermostat to accurately
replicate the use conditions
of their actual thermostat,
including lighting and
accessibility

12. Usability Tests
Asked each participant to
perform a set of four tasks
on each of the thermostats

13. Usability Findings
Users cannot set thermostats efficiently
Distinctions between heating and cooling are
confusing
Thermostat labels are confusing
Users are confused by product ergonomics

14. Recommendations
Too many buttons and modes are unnecessary
Provide relevant feedback for any action
performed by users on thermostats
Create standards for labeling
If a thermostat has a cover, make it easy to remove
Provide clearly legible instructions/ tips on the
thermostat

15. Thank You!
Dhawal Mujumdar | dhawal@ischool.berkeley.edu
Daniel Perry | dperry@ischool.berkeley.edu
Becky Hurwitz | becky@ischool.berkeley.edu