How Might We Improve the UX of PinguinoCare4me?
Air Conditioner UX Redesign
This project aims to redesign the user experience of De'Longhi Pinguino Care4Me. This online portfolio shows the redesign part of the app, not the part of the remote control. The app redesign concentrated on the weekly schedule. We explored three distinct concepts during the initial phase, leveraging Harris profiles derived from previous UX research to evaluate each concept's interaction qualities. Ultimately, we formulated a comprehensive redesign proposal.
App UI Redesign
Weekly Schedule Function
TIME
02/ 2024 - 06/2024 (5 months)
LOCATION
Delft University of Technology
TEAM
Yin-Yu Lo, Louise Houweling, Maartje van Velzen, Fanshu Ma
SKILLS
User Research, Figma, Usability Test
Project Background
The project sees De’Longhi as a client, with a focus on analyzing UI and the App of the product.
Product system
The product system consists of the three elements as described previously: the air conditioning itself, the remote control and the application.
Target Group
35-50 year-old people
Middle-high income
Lifestyle and Values
They appreciate smart technology and convenience. The air conditioner’s smart features.
Project Structure
01 UX Research
This project began with a high level of ambiguity, requiring first defining the problem space.
Heuristic Evaluation
The evaluation aimed to
Identify potential usability issues to clarify the problem space
Inform initial assumptions about interaction challenges and narrow down the design focus
Notable concerns were observed in the categories of 01 Visibility of System Status (6 issues), 02 Match Between System and the Real World (3 issues), and 04 Consistency and Standards (4 issues).
Visibility of System Status
Lack of displaying system status
Six issues were identified concerning the Visibility of System Status, including a lack of clear indications for temperature, mode, and power status on the remote control, as well as insufficient feedback on the air conditioner's panel regarding operational status and scheduled time counting.
Match Between System and the Real World
Unclear indication of the interface
Three issues related to the match Between System and the Real World highlighted user confusion with the app's "Tap to switch" function and the power icon on the remote control.
Consistency and Standards
Inconsistent interface design
Four issues in Consistency and Standards pointed to inconsistencies in interface design and labeling across the app, remote control, and panel, causing difficulties in understanding color changes and distinguishing different functions.
User Test
Goal of the test is to validate usability issues through user insights and refined the design direction
Test Flow
During the process, participants were asked to think aloud while doing the tasks. After finishing the tasks, they were interviewed and asked to finish the SUS questionnaire.
3 scenarios were designed to test the tasks for the appliance, remote control, and app.
01 Task of machine:
1.1 Turning the machine on and setting.
02 Task of remote control:
2.1 Changing variables with the remote control, next to you on the couch.
2.2 Changing variables but using the App.
03 Task of app:
3.1 Turning on the device in advance.
3.2 Changing weekly schedule away from home (work).
Participants
Results of User test
SUS questionnaire
The System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire was utilized in the user testing to assess user satisfaction with Pinguino's system. Most scores are around 62~85. The highest score is 85. The lowest score is 25, evaluated by participant 1.
Interview analysis
In the analysis of the user interviews, we sorted out the problems and strong points encountered by each user and categorized them.
Users appreciated the clear and easily identifiable icons on the remote control. The overall aesthetic of the product also received positive feedback. However, several issues were noted, especially about the remote control and the app.
Step-by-Step to define pain points
Several opportunities have been found to improve interaction with the remote control and the app's weekly schedule.
Redesign focus: Remote control and the App
While the remote control and weekly scheduling features have the potential to provide users with a sense of being cared for, they currently lead to frustration and discomfort.
To support the overall goal of creating a smooth and comforting daily experience for mid- to high-income families, these features will be the main focus in the next phase of the redesign.
02 Prototyping and Test
*The project aims to redesign the user experience of De'Longhi Pinguino Care4Me.
This online portfolio only shows the part of the app redesign.
What are core issue of the APP?
Overview of the schedule
Adding the schedule
Activating the schedule
Adding a favorite mode
Developing schedule overview by considering the information delivery hierarchy.
Considering key factors such as user engagement and information density, our team determined that taking an overview of the schedule was the highest priority. Consequently, we opted to develop different schedule overviews as our conceptual models.
Using Haris's profile assisted in final concept selection.
The prioritization of design requirements is outlined in the table, indicating their relative importance. Intuitive interaction is the primary consideration in the app's design criteria. The tool assisted designers in systematically selecting relevant design concepts.
Concept 02 was chosen as the foundation of the final concept.
The initial redesign proposal combined the features of the Concept 1 blocks view and the Concept 3 preference view, converging three concepts.
03 Final Design and Evaluation
Introducing Final Concept
Comparison of the overview page
User Test
Goal of the Test
To evaluate the redesigns that have been created.
To stay close to the set-up of the user test in the first phase and have a reliable comparison, the scenarios are quite similar, though adjusted where necessary.
Test Flow
To stay close to the set-up of the user test in the first phase and have a reliable comparison, the scenarios are quite similar, though adjusted where necessary.
Test Scenario
00. Introduction
The user gets information about the functions of the Pinguino system. They get some time to investigate the machine.
01. Task:
1.1 Turn on the MyEcoRealFeel function
1.2 Set the temperature to 21 degrees and the fan on maximum speed
1.3 Put the aircon on silent mode
1.4 Set a timer for 1,5 hours
02. Task:
2.1 Add a new schedule for 13:00-14:00 Friday afternoon.
2.2 Check the saved schedule on the calendar.
2.3 Add a favorite mode of sleeping.
2.4 Add a new schedule with sleeping mode.
Participants
All participants are without design backgrounds. Testing with participants who resemble the actual user base ensures the feedback is relevant and reflects the experience of real users.
Half of the participants are closer to the target group ages. 4 participants are 30-40 years old. 3 participants are under 30.
Users can quickly grasp the app’s structure and complete core tasks smoothly, confirming the clarity of the redesign.
The first impression of the app is clear and easy to understand.
Most participants can easily add new schedules and check the saved details.
“It is clean, not difficult to understand, and similar to setting appointments on teams or agendas. “ (Participant 3)
Divided opinions regarding the complexity(Q2) and how struggling the system is(Q8).
While most users do not feel struggling while using the Pinguino (Q8), the high variability in responses highlights the need to address specific issues affecting a subset of users. These areas may warrant further investigation to improve the system's usability.
Noticeable improvements in ease of use and confidence (Q1, Q3, Q9).
While the medians for Q1 and Q3 remain unchanged between the original and redesigned tests, responses are now more consistent. The system's redesign appears to have positively influenced willingness to use, ease of use, and user confidence across various participants.
However,
Adding a favorite mode needs to be improved.
“For me, my expectation will be I will do all the things from top to down.” (Participant 1)
“Interesting to put it here, Favorite mode is here hidden. It’s not easy to find...” (Participant 7)
Some design improvements were made.
Clarifying Scheduling Flow
Making add schedule page clearer for two parts and give subtitles
Move the customizing mode button to the top of mode setting
Add hints for required options to remind users of required options promptly
User testing has revealed certain behaviours where participants occasionally neglect to complete mandatory fields when adding schedules. The recommended strategy is to promptly remind them of the required information they have overlooked.
Provide confirmation feedback for selected choices.
Certain options present multiple choices, requiring users to verify their selections and make multiple choices accordingly.
Things I’d Do Differently
Conducting deeper user research
Instead of relying solely on the information provided by De’Longhi, I would conduct more in-depth user research to better understand the target group’s attitudes, habits, and values.
Collaborating more with engineers
I would engage more directly with engineers to gain clearer insights into technical constraints and possibilities. In this project, most engineering perspectives came from Delonghi senior designers rather than engineers themselves.
Establishing a design system
I would create and maintain a design system to ensure consistency and efficiency across all design elements.
Reflection on the overall project
Small improvements can still create a great impact.
Big changes aren’t always necessary.
Minor adjustments in the user interface can significantly enhance the overall experience. It’s not always about big changes, but about making well-reasoned decisions.