Sharing Home Security with Ease
Enhancing Home Security: Improving the User Experience of the August Lock System
Project: Identified several features of the product that did not comply with a heuristic and could use some improvement. I picked a problem that I felt needed to be solved correctly and would have the greatest impact on a person’s experience with the product.
Skills Developed: Product Research, Communication Skills, Prototyping, User Testing
Introduction
Have you ever had concerns about the safety of your home, especially when entrusting access to others? August Lock system aims to provide home security with pride, but during a heuristic review, several areas for improvement were identified. Focusing on minimizing perceived complexity, I tackled a specific problem to enhance the user experience and make a significant impact on users’ interaction with the product.
Heuristic Review: Working as a team, we conducted a comprehensive heuristic review, evaluating the following heuristics:
- Match Mental Model
- Minimize Perceived Complexity
- Use Consistent Forms, Words, & Actions
- Provide A Sense of Place
- Account For User & Environmental Constraints
- Anticipate Needs
- Use Clear & Concise Language
- Give Feedback About Actions & Status
- Prevent Errors & Provide Graceful Recovery
- Strive For Appropriate & Minimal Aesthetics
Identifying the Problem
I examined the issue of perceived complexity in the August Lock system. While conducting the heuristic review, it became evident that guests faced several hurdles when attempting to gain access through the app. This discovery led me to focus on addressing this problem, as I believed that solving it correctly would have a significant impact on the overall user experience.
To analyze the situation further, I considered the specific constraints and requirements of the product. Understanding that home security systems like August Lock heavily rely on mobile apps for connectivity via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, I took these factors into account when evaluating the perceived complexity of the access process.
By breaking down the user journey and closely examining the steps and interactions involved, I identified two main obstacles: the need for users to switch between the app and the website to create an account, and the reliance on text message registration. These hoops created unnecessary friction and increased the perceived complexity for guests seeking access to a homeowner’s property.
Recognizing the significance of these issues and their potential impact on user satisfaction, I determined that addressing them would greatly enhance the overall user experience of the August Lock system. Consequently, I embarked on the design process with the objective of streamlining the access request and approval flow, ultimately simplifying the process for both homeowners and guests.
Sketching →Wireframes →Mid-fidelity Wireframes
n the design iteration section, I adopted a systematic approach to refine and enhance the user experience of the August Lock system. The journey started with sketches, progressed to wireframes, and culminated in mid-fidelity wireframes.
Understanding the importance of seamless integration and maintaining visual consistency with the existing app, I aimed to design solutions that felt like natural extensions of the current interface. My goal was to strike a balance between simplicity and functionality, ensuring that the proposed changes seamlessly fit within the app’s aesthetic framework.
Beginning with simple sketches, I focused on capturing the essential information and maintaining a clean and uncluttered layout. These initial sketches allowed me to establish a solid foundation for the subsequent design iterations.
Moving on to wireframes, created using Sketch, I explored various design possibilities and refined my ideas. It was crucial to consider the user’s perspective and align the proposed changes with their needs. By iterating on the wireframes, I incorporated feedback from the team and further honed the designs, striking a balance between intuitiveness and efficiency.
The mid-fidelity wireframes marked the stage where the design solutions started taking shape. I paid close attention to the user flow, ensuring that the process of requesting and granting access remained straightforward and time-efficient. The aim was to minimize the number of choices and provide clear instructions, reducing any potential confusion or cognitive load for both guests and homeowners.
By presenting all the necessary options within the app, the redesigned process eliminated the need for users to switch between the app and the website for account creation. Additionally, I removed the reliance on text message registration, except for sending invitation codes, which could potentially be replaced by email.
Throughout the design iteration process, I remained mindful of maintaining a user-centric approach, considering feedback and insights from both the team and potential users. While the initial user testing yielded inconclusive results due to time constraints, I recognized the need for further rounds of testing and refinements. These subsequent rounds would involve a larger pool of testers and include a comparison between the original and updated versions of the app to gather more robust feedback.
Overall, the design iteration process focused on improving the perceived complexity of the access workflow, simplifying interactions, and creating a more intuitive and efficient user experience within the August Lock system.
User Testing
I conducted tests to gather valuable insights and feedback on the redesigned features of the August Lock system. While time constraints limited the scope of the initial testing, the results provided valuable observations and suggestions for improvement.
To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, I devised two specific scenarios for the testers to simulate real-world usage:
Scenario 1: The tester is visiting a friend’s cabin for the weekend, and the friend has granted access through the August Lock system but forgot to provide the invite code. The tester attempts to request access through the app while en route to the cabin.
Scenario 2: The tester is visiting a friend’s cabin for the weekend, and the friend has granted access through the August Lock system by sending an access code. The tester enters the provided code to gain access.
These scenarios aimed to assess the usability, efficiency, and clarity of the redesigned features in practical situations. After each test, the testers were asked to complete a survey, which included questions to gauge their overall experience, identify strengths and weaknesses, and provide suggestions for further improvements.
Although the initial testing lacked a direct comparison with the original version of the app, the results yielded valuable insights. All four testers reported a sense of confusion regarding certain elements of the design, highlighting areas that required refinement.
Based on their feedback, the testers recommended several adjustments. They suggested renaming the “Guest Invite” title to more accurately reflect the two distinct functions of the feature, namely “Guest Invitation” and “Guest Set up.” This change aimed to enhance clarity and align the terminology with the users’ mental models. Furthermore, the testers requested additional visual cues, such as increased color differentiation and the inclusion of a prominent button at the bottom of the text field for ease of progression.
The initial user testing provided valuable feedback and identified areas for improvement in the redesigned features of the August Lock system. To achieve more conclusive results, future iterations of testing should involve a larger and more diverse pool of testers and include a direct comparison between the original and updated versions of the app. This iterative approach will enable the refinement of the user experience and ensure the creation of a final version that fosters a greater sense of security and an efficient process for homeowners and guests.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the project focused on identifying and addressing usability issues in the August Lock system through a heuristic review, design iteration, and user testing. While the initial testing phase provided valuable insights, it’s important to note that the results were inconclusive due to limited time and the absence of a direct comparison with the original app.
However, the feedback received from the user testing phase highlighted areas that could be improved to enhance the user experience and address usability concerns. Testers expressed confusion regarding certain elements of the design and provided specific recommendations for refinement.
Moving forward, it is crucial to conduct further rounds of testing with a larger and more diverse group of testers. This iterative approach will allow for a more comprehensive evaluation of the redesigned features and facilitate a direct comparison between the original and updated versions of the app. By incorporating feedback from multiple testing rounds, it will be possible to make informed design decisions and create a final version of the August Lock system that ensures a seamless and secure experience for both homeowners and guests.
