SmartThings

Overview

I primarily focused on designing from scratch a new developer web console which included some user research as well as creating new flows, wireframes, prototypes, visual design assets, and a new design system. My design scope also grew with being able to work with other engineering and design teams at both SmartThings and Samsung managing current assets, assisting in crafting UX requirements for engineering, and creating new UX guides and flows.

Role
‍UI/UX Designer
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‍Tools
‍Figma, Sketch, Zeplin, Adobe Illustrator
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‍Timeframe
February – July 2021

Discovery & Research

Understanding the user

Interviewing the stakeholders

I interviewed several product managers and those who had been involved with helping the onboarding and integration of third-party companies and their own smart home devices to the SmartThings IoT ecosystem. These managers often had ongoing relationships with external companies and would serve as points of contact for integration.

"...our process can take forever..."– Richard

"Only relying on email makes it frustrating when a mistake is made"– Kat

"Having no ability to keep track of a certification status keeps me on edge"– Marissa

Problems I found

  1. Most of the data and information necessary for a product's integration was exchanged over email— leading to important elements being accidentally left out.
  2. A clear need for a more streamlined and transparent process.
  3. If there was new information that a business wanted to update there was often a significant lead time and could sometimes take days if the point of contact was out of office or on vacation.

Ideation

UX Workflow

Putting together a high level flow

Creating a workflow allows me to visualize how the user will accomplish their goal as well as show me which pages need to be designed. It also allows me tell the story clearly and quickly to other stakeholders in order to show the depth and engineering resources.

Wireframes and Prototypes

Early mockups and testing

Creating early iterations of mockups and prototypes allows me to conduct usability and A/B testing. Seeing what works and what doesn't allows me to gain valuable insight.

A/B testing from early designs

What I Learned Testing So Far

Throughout my time gathering research while iterating and testing designs these were some of the recurring themes so far.

Design

Design System

Creating a guide for consistent design

Working with engineering along the way I created a design system that would fit within the overall Samsung ecosystem but was still complimentary to SmartThing's overall branding and design.

I touched everything from typography and colors to designing reusable components like buttons, switches, drop downs and tables.

Final Design