Smarter Applications
Getting the user more connected with their kitchen by providing control of their appliances through the Smatrer app.
Say cheese!!!
Project
UX/UI Digital Designer | April 2017 - June 2018 Building products to allow users to use an app to control their kitchen appliances was a project I wanted to be involved in. Why, because innovation is something I look for when designing so what better way to put my designs together than with a company that thinks the same.
Let’s get
creative
Working on the app was more difficult than I first thought it wasn't so much simply putting together an attractive app design but the app would be also used to set up each product in its own individual way. Three products equalled three different routes and completely different designs with their own colour schemes to quickly identify the product simply by matching their colour not only that but there was an additional product which was the luxury kettle product. So first things first were to allow the user to choose straight away which product they would need to set up and so all the options were readily visibly available and worth a click of one of the products their journey through the setup would begin.
Setting up the FridgeCam was no easy task. There were a lot of user tests we gathered not only in-house but with our actual customers. Getting users into the office and observing them set up the FridgeCam was the most eye-opener as it allowed us to watch as the user struggled to calibrate the device and having working so images of inside the fridge could be displayed on their smartphone. The process was long and careful, each user took their time which was actually timed to let potential users know the length of set-up. I designed a step-by-step process to help guide the user on this journey and thankfully every setup was a success.
Anyone making coffee
User testing
Once the app had been set up and a product calibrated which basically meant synced to their mobile it was then time to watch users’ behaviour within the product they purchased whether it be the FridgeCam, iKettle or coffee machine. Each product had its own instructions as each worked very differently from the other as each product had different functions and purposes for instance. You could time the coffee machine to make you a coffee in the morning by setting a time, whereas the kettle would tell the user how many cups of tea were possible to make by them viewing the water levels.
Setup
When setting up the FridgeCam we had users come into the office and we would instruct the users to sep up the product without any instructions from the team. All the user had was a piece of paper with a step by step guide how the FridgeCam should be setup and how to connect to the app. From here we would conduct their actions and take notes while they went through the process of setting up the FridgeCam in the fridge we had installed in the office.
How the FridgeCam works? Once set up on the smartphone the FridgeCam would take a photo of the inside of the fridge so the user can see directly on their screen what was needed if they were at work, in the supermarket or generally anywhere that had Wifi connection.
In the end, we would ask questions to figure out what and where more focus was required in terms of improving the setup process. I also had meetings with the customer service team to gather intel on customers they receive direct emails and calls from on a daily basis.
iKettle app
The iKettle was the easiest making it the most enjoyable process, having functions such as water levels, and keeping warm to name a few. The indicator would allow users to set their water temperature by simply moving their finger over the lined dials and stopping at a certain point which is highlighted in green as well as giving them a clear temperature in the middle of the dial. Under the dial if necessary the user would then be able to keep the water warm for up to an amount of time if the water in the kettle would fall in temperature.
How it worked
So the user would be able to control the temperature simply by tapping on the indicator or swiping along the dial (so the line) and in the middle will be sown the amount selected. The user would be able to change the amount shown from degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius depending on their location to time if required. At the footer, I presented a few options to the user which the iKettle could perform. If they wanted to warm up the water by re-boiling. Check the amount of water available in the iKettle by tapping on the left icon or hitting the green middle button to start and stop the action.
Additional features
There were many functions to this app. We team up with a number of supermarkets such as Tesco which would allow users to scan their items in their fridge so that they can then re-order anything that was about to expire or had been used. In the inventory I created a kebab menu which allowed users to do more such as edit an expiry date if it was correct by using the scan, they can track an item, add items to their shopping list for their next round of purchases or delete an item when necessary.
Swipe to reveal
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Smarter assist
How I would tell a story to let users know how Smarter assist worked. Using Framer and recording it to create this animation to then add to a Photoshop mockup I developed an animation which shows the working method behind the actual working process. I designed the icons and images in Illustrator, exported the files to be used in Framer and using the timeline created this piece of design.
FridgeCam photoshoot
What you could see in the initial design picture of the FridgeCam is a photograph of an inside of a fridge. I purchased items from Tesco and arranged them in the fridge we had in the office and what you see is the final picture used for the packaging of the product but some cheeky bugger used some of the milk lol.
I always want to make a product accessible to as many people as I can. It’s a must in the product world! This design allows users to use their favourite social media platform to access the app or simply create an account with their email and password. Some users don't like to use their social media accounts I found out from many user tests but what they do like is no fuss, no hustle free sign-ups. With no scrolling needed, I believe I created that here with these screens.
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We create smart, award-winning devices for the kitchen that are designed to not only look good but also make life easier. Each of our flagship products is innovative and the best of its kind, paving the way for the future by harnessing the latest technology.