From systematic studies over the decades, the smart home’s main functionalities have evolved from home automation to remote monitoring and controlling, then to context awareness. All the smart home products have a mainstream type in a certain period. However, have these mainstream functionalities covered all the needs of the users? Through 3 rounds of research conducted across 3 different markets (China, EU, and Bay Area in the US) during a two-year span, Veronika and her colleagues at frog have found some new surprising uses and work-arounds that users invented, which have definitely inspired them in surfacing the hidden and essential needs in smart homes. Fancy to know what kind of uses and work-arounds users have created? In this talk, through some research finding anecdotes, Veronika will lay out 3 key lenses that were used to uncover the hidden needs and JBTDs in the smart home space, and talk about how to transfer these hidden needs into some new smart home product and service design opportunities.

1. Designa
human-centred
smarthome
XD CONFERENCE
Veronika Ji
Senior Strategist, frog
@frogdesign @veronikaji

2. 2
Dumb things smart homes do Design provocations
What gaps are there between user
behaviours and productions
What we found through primary design research
across three continents.
What can the future be?
What we would like the designers and IoT industry
to ideate and drive for the future.
AGENDA

3. InteractionsFeatures Business
Models
2 31

4. Interactions Business
Models
2 31
Features

5. PARADOX # 1
VS.
TECH DRIVEN NEEDS DRIVEN

7. “I can chat with my
son and have the daily
bonding moments
when I’m away on a
business trip.”

8. “ We use the camera as a
camie-talkie and get each
others’ virtual
companionship.”
“

9. Functional needs
Emotional needs
See and communicate Locate and chat
Bondings with family Virtual presence

10. 10
IoT producers
Use the core capabilities of the
smart home devices according
to emotional needs
• Bond with family
• Sense the virtual and omni presence of family
Users
TECH DRIVEN NEEDS DRIVEN
Design the product core
capabilities according to
functional requirements
• Sense the changes
• Send notifications
IoTproducersdesignandproducesmart
homedeviceswithablinkeredapproach

11. 11
HowmighttheIoTproducers
betterunderstandthemotivations
andJBTDsofusers?

12. EMERGING TREND
Tap to offload the
phone capabilities to
other smart home
devices

13. InteractionsFeatures Business
Model
2 31

14. PARADOX # 2
VS.
TARGETED
USER PERSONA
FLUID AND EVOLVING
USE CASES

15. 15
However,athome,therearemultiple
usersandmultiplesmarthomedevices.

16. Private device vs.
Shared device

17. 17
SPECIFIED ROLE
MULTI-PURPOSE ROLE
Work
Therolesofsmarthomedevicesareevolvingrapidly
withchangeddevicesandthechangedusers.
PRIVATE CONTEXT SHARED CONTEXT
Moving Context kit, Elizabeth Churchill and et al 2017

18. 18
SHARED CONTEXT
SPECIFIED ROLE
MULTI-PURPOSE ROLE
Work
Therolesofsmarthomedevicesareevolvingrapidly
withchangeddevicesandthechangedusers.
Listen to
music
Multi
tasks,
general
questions/
alarm
PRIVATE CONTEXT

19. 19
Howcouldthesmarthomesystem
supportmultiuserstoseamlessly
orchestratemultidevicesinthefast
evolvingcontexts?

20. 20
1. Face ID for User
specific settings
EMERGING TREND
3. Gesture to
control the volume,
back and forth
2. Driver touch
pad 4. Voice control

21. “ HI KIDDO, HOW’S YOUR DAY TODAY?
”
DESIGN PROVOCATION #2 | FLUID AND EVOLVING USE CASES
Whatif differentuserscouldtriggerinteractionsand
personalitiesoftheirsmarthomesinanaturalway?

22. DESIGN PROVOCATION #2 | FLUID AND EVOLVING USE CASES
Whatif differentuserscouldtriggerinteractionsand
personalitiesoftheirsmarthomesinanaturalway?

23. InteractionsFeatures Business
Model
2 31

24. PARADOX #3
VS.
SELLING
PRODUCTS
NEW BIZ
MODEL

26. 26
UNDERSTAND DESIGN PURCHASE REGISTRATION INSTALL CONFIGURATION TRY USE UPDATE/RETIRE
z
AWARE MAINTAIN AND UPDATE
ADNJUSTAWARENESS MAINTAIN
Thesmarthomecustomerjourneyisaquitelong
journeyforusers…
INSTALL USE
DECIDE
BUY

27. However,theIoTproducersandserviceprovidersare
morepresentintheawarenessandbuyphases…
27
UNDERSTAND DESIGN PURCHASE REGISTRATION INSTALL CONFIGURATION TRY USE UPDATE/RETIRE
z
AWARE MAINTAIN AND UPDATE
ADNJUSTAWARENESS MAINTAIN
INSTALL USE
DECIDE
BUY

28. z
28
AWARE BUY MAINTAIN AND UPDATE
Thenusersareleftindarkandwouldencountersomany
frictionssincetheinstallationmoment…
INSTALL USE

29. Usersneedtodownload4-9apps
tosetupa'smarthome’,even
fromthesamebrand..
Phoneasablocker

30. “Afterreadingsomanyonlineraiders,
understandingthejargonsandbuyingsome
additionalaccessaries,thebluetooth
connectionofthesmartwashingmachine
stillnotestablished.Soit’sjustanother
washingmachine.”
Techblockers

31. z
31
AWARE BUY
Whenretirethedevices,theprocessesarequite
confusingandchallengingtoo.
INSTALL USE MAINTAIN AND UPDATE

32. Extra purchases due to lack
of planning guidance
Upgrade for new
features

33. 33
New Business
Model
Products – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – →
Product-focusedsales-onlybusinessmodelis
extremelyoutdatedforsmarthome

34. 34
Whatifsmarthomescanbeprovidedin
alternativeserviceandbusinessmodels?

35. 35
Orchestrate beyond the
normal offering and
delivery method.
EMERGING TREND

36. “ HERE IS YOUR SMART HOME KIT SERVICE!
”
DESIGN PROVOCATION #3 | NEW BUSINESS MODELS
Whatif userscouldsubscribeonlytotheirneeded
scenarioswhenorderingsmarthomeservices?
“ I ONLY NEED TO HAVE SMART PARTY
SCENARIOS! ”

37. “
MOVING IN WITH MY PARTNER.
MY SMART HOME SERVICE PROVIDER HELP ME TO CHANGE TO
ANOTHER SUBSCRIPTION.
”
Whatif userscouldsubscribeonlytotheirneeded
scenarioswhenorderingsmarthomeservices?
DESIGN PROVOCATION #3 | NEW BUSINESS MODELS

38. Towardsamore
human-centred
smarthome
38

39. Targeted personaTech driven
Needs-driven Fluid and evolving
use cases
Product focus
New biz models

40. 40
Whattriggersallthechanges?

41. 41

42. FROG IS A COMPANY OF ALTRAN © 2020 FROG DESIGN INC.
for more information, contact veronika.ji@frogdesign.com