UX & IoT | Will UX connect the dots of IoT?
Consumer centric Internet of Things products emerged as a new layer of devices which managed to connect formerly static and non-connected devices with computers, tablets, and smartphones. For instance, Nest (thermostat and smoke alarm), wearables (smart watches, fitness bands…etc.), and August Smart Lock (door lock system) are all examples of consumer centric or consumer based Internet of Things devices.
IoT signifies a major shift in the idea of the Internet, where it will power not just computing devices, but also billions of everyday devices, from heart monitoring implants to toaster ovens. Large businesses have already started to invest in IoT to gain competitive advantage by collecting and analyzing data from millions of wearable and embeddable devices to make meaningful business decisions.
Designing the Experience
Right now, companies are trying to make their connected product work, but few are focused on making it usable. There needs to be a designed experience for users to find value in connected products. Designing for IoT comes with a bunch of challenges that will be new to designers accustomed to pure digital services. How tricky these challenges prove will depend on :
1 The maturity of the technology you’re working with
2 The context of use or expectations your users have of the system
3 The complexity of your service (e.g. how many devices the user has to interact with).
More UX and less GUI
With small form factors, majority of the devices will have small or no visual interfaces. There will be less buttons to push and scroll-bars to pull. Without large scale screens, the need for great UX design will become even more important, but the primary mode of interacting with these devices will be using touch gestures and voice.
Multi-device Experiences
A single user experience will get spread across multiple devices (personal and non-personal), different platforms and different points in time. Some respond to touch, voice, gestures whereas others respond to sensor tricking or digital juggling. A UX designer will have to break out of platform specific standards and learn how to provide a continuous user experience across multiple devices and platforms.
In 2020, there could be 200-Billion connected devices, from smart dust to smart cities.
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Article originally published at UXness
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