Summary
What is Simplisafe?
smart home security system
Problem
sensor testing is a confusing and unimaginative process that leaves users concerned if their home is secure
Solution
one experience to test your burglary sensors and practice a monitoring call
UX experience studio team project sponsored by SimpliSafe at Purdue University
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Jan 2022 - April 2022
1 -
Exploring the Current Testing Process
i assisted by helping explore user pain points and defining our user group
Methods Contributed:
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​observations
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literary analysis
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comparative analysis
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interview study
Research Takeaways:
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users wanted a guided exploration ​
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with straight forward communication
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that has customization
2 -
Ideating in our Problem Space
i assisted by sketching concepts, taking part in a second interview study/concept test, and iterating our sketches into mid-fidelity mockups
Ideation Takeaways:
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combined practice and test mode into one experience
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addressed issues with lack of a monitoring call during practice mode
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added a straightforward timeline
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add troubleshooting if sensors do not function
3 -
Final Design Concept
i assisted by helping put our learned research and concepts together into a new testing solution final design
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Reflection
Reflection
When I first started this project, I was brand new to UX. This was my first larger team project, consisting of seven people. Approaching this project was a little intimidating. However, the project turned out great, and it established fundamental UX design techniques that I continue to use today.
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At the beginning of this project, our group was confused about the difference in meaning between practice and testing mode. This shows that our problem space needed a solution.
Full Case Study
SimpliSafe
Home Security
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One Experience to Test your Security Sensors
What is SimpliSafe?
SimpliSafe is a build-your-own smart security system that's easy to set up and use. It alerts authorities of intruders and users of environmental threats like fires and floods
Problem Space
The system's sensor testing is a confusing and unimaginative process that leaves their users concerned if their home is secure.
Project Terminology
Practice Mode
Practice Mode happens automatically during the initial setup of the system and includes a 72-hour period where authorities are not notified when alarms are triggered.
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Test Mode
Test Mode is a way for the user to verify that their devices are connected to the base station. This is user-activated and done through a button on the individual devices, which then causes auditory feedback from the base station if working correctly.
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Monitoring Call
Monitoring call is when an alarm is set off and Simplisafe calls the emergency contact for the system. This allows the user to decide to alert authorities if an event is actually happening or if they are not needed.
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The Sensor Testing Solution
One experience to test your burglary sensors and practice a monitoring call.
Interactive mockup of solution
Design Process
1 - Exploring SimpliSafe's Current Setup Process
To better understand the project space, I conducted research, set up a SimpliSafe system, and conducted interviews to explore user pain points. The research outlined in this section had the overarching purpose to help locate the current struggles and define our user group.
Methods:
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Observations - gain first-hand insights on the user's pain points and how the system setup functions by observing our team set up their own Simplisafe system
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Literary Analysis - familiarize ourselves with security systems and why people purchase them
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Comparative Analysis - explore other security systems and their setup processes
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Interview Study - learn from users about their current experience with the SimpliSafe system as well as what they value in home security systems.
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User Flow chart of the SimpliSafe mobile application- find aspects that are in the current Simplisafe interface that will be used to guide research and ideation.
Comparative Analysis Results
User Interview Results
Research Takeaways
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Guided Exploration
Straightforward Communication
Customization
Users want to be more involved testing
No monitoring call dispatched during practice mode
Overlapping sensor detection in testing mode
Lack of clarity of when you are in practice or test mode
Apprehension of how to self-test their motion or glass break sensors
Users want more information on each specific sensor and if it is working properly
Users want the test mode to better fit their testing preferences
Users highly valued customization while exploring the system
2 - Initial Ideation
The research and newfound understandings of how the SimpliSafe system operates were used to narrow down the scope and visualize potential solutions. Our sponsor expressed confusion between Simplisafe’s test mode and practice mode and we found most users did not comprehend that practice mode existed, which is why the main focus is creating a solution that eliminates the confusion between test mode and practice mode. In addition, our sponsor mentioned how setting up the SimpliSafe system on the mobile application provides a more comprehensive walkthrough than through the alternative way, which is why we designed on a mobile interface.
Methods:
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Low-Fid Prototype - ideate on the solution and develop an interface
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Interview Study - conduct a second study to gather user feedback and understand their mental model
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Concept Testing - grasp users’ understanding of our initial ideas
Low-Fid Prototype
2nd User Interview Results
Ideation Takeaways
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Eliminated 72-hour "practice mode" due to confusion
Addressed issues with lack of experience with monitoring call by adding practice call
Visual Feedback: users unclear icons and wanted straightforward timelines for testing progress
Confirmed user understanding of the name "SimpliCheck"
Added prototypes for assisting and troubleshooting if sensors do not function
3 - Final Design Concept
To help explain the final design concept, a walkthrough of the final design was created. We created Figma medium-fidelity prototypes to improve on what we created with our low-fidelity prototypes, which align with Simplisafe’s UX design team primarily using Figma. In addition, we conducted usability testing to evaluate our user’s understanding of our final design concept.
Introducing: SimpliCheck
One experience to check your sensors status, and practice your Simplisafe system
Onboarding Interface
Sensor Overview
Entry Sensor Testing
Motion Sensor Testing
Glass Break Sensor Testing
Monitoring Call Testing
SimpliCheck Completed
SimpliCheck Location
