All projects

UX/UI · 2023

homee App User Testing

Design and User Testing for homee's Smart Home App

In the early days of the homee app, I worked on the design concept together with a front-end developer who is also responsible for UX/UI at homee. The UX structure developed during that phase remains the foundation of the released app to this day.

My focus was on scenario-based user testing: Over the course of twelve weeks, we developed four task flows, recruited testers through our own social media campaigns, and tested the flows with approximately 110 users using the online tool Maze and through qualitative shadowing.

PERIOD

Jan. 2023 - April 2023

TEAM

Together with UX/UI designers and front-end developers from homee

MY ROLE

Concept Development, Mock-ups, UX Research, Ads, User Testing & Analysis

TOOLS

Figma, Maze

01 THE RESULT

I developed the app's basic structure during this phase, and it largely proved effective during testing:

Three of the four user flows worked right away.

Although a few changes have been made to the user interface since then, the app's framework is still based on the structure I developed back then.

Qualitative User Testing

100

Testers via the online testing tool Maze

Task Flows as Clickable Prototypes

Users were able to complete 4 of the tasks on their first try

Weeks of testing, from storyboard to evaluation

02 THE TESTING

It took twelve weeks to go from the storyboard to the evaluation. I designed the entire process, from planning to analysis, including the campaign we used to recruit testers.

First, we defined scenarios, created screens and tasks, and recruited testers. In an internal pre-test, we ironed out initial errors and ambiguities. Afterward, 100 testers completed the tasks in Maze. Using their results, we adjusted the click-through mockups and, finally, conducted another qualitative test of the concept: through shadowing with an additional 10 people.

BASIS

Concept &

Tester Recruitment

Scenarios, screens, and four tasks as a clickable prototype. At the same time, testers were recruited via ads, a landing page, and a questionnaire.

INTERN

Preliminary Tests

Testing with Customer Service Staff:

Resolve initial errors and ambiguities before the full-scale testing begins.

Adjusting clickable prototypes

100 TESTER

Remote-Test in Maze

1 Week to Test:

The four tasks, evaluated based on success rate, stumbling blocks, and user group.

Adjusting clickable prototypes

10 TESTER

Shadowing

We conducted another qualitative test of the modified clickable prototypes on-site using shadowing with 10 additional participants and performed a final evaluation.

THE SCHEDULE

03 THE TESTERS

The app is designed to work well even without prior knowledge. That’s why we were primarily looking for people with little smart-home experience, and this was also mentioned in some of the ads. We used a questionnaire to assess how much experience the applicants had. Based on this, we selected the testers, assigned them to three personas, and later evaluated the results according to these personas.

“Roommate”

Not tech-savvy;

lives in a smart home but doesn't set anything up themselves. Just turns things on and off—like the lights, for example.

“Average Joe”

Interested in technology;

sets up devices on his own, but isn't particularly into smart homes.

“Specialist”

Very tech-savvy; deep into the topic, wants to automate as much as possible and builds many of his own automations.

THE CAMPAIGN

I designed custom ads for Facebook and Instagram. The visuals highlight typical smart-home scenarios: security, fire safety, pets, and checking in on your home while you’re away. A consistent tagline—“Smart Home Testers Wanted!”—ties them all together.

04 THE TASKS

Each task simulates a situation from everyday life in a smart home. We tested the workflows, not the final design. It was clear from the start that the user interface would still change. For this reason, I’ve only included wireframes here to illustrate the workflow.

Task 1: Control the lighting
Add a kitchen lamp, create a favorite color called “Ice Blue” or replace “Rose Red,” change the color, and

dim it to 60%. Tested in two variations.

Task 2: Interpreting the Graph

What was the noise level of the “Netatmo Station” on March 17, 2022, at 5:34 p.m.?

The issues:

Although the path to the value was set up correctly, it was unclear in three places: The slider with the attributes at the top was not recognized as a selection (A), the value being sought was not clearly readable in the graph (B), and it was not clear that the time period, date, and time could be changed (C).

Task 3: Add a Device to a Group

Create a group called “Kitchen Lighting,” pair the “Philips Hue White,” add it to the group, and check whether it appears there.

Task 4: Smart Widgets

Add a “Light” smart widget to your Home screen.

05 THE HOMEE APP TODAY

The basic structure and menu navigation of the current app stem from this phase. The main change has been to the user interface. The graphs in the detail view were redesigned because testing showed that they were confusing—exactly where Task 2 ran into trouble.

On the left are the screenshots from the clickable prototype we used for testing; on the right are the same sections in the app released today. I created the test screenshots and the structure; I was only partially involved in the app’s current UI design.

Home

CLICKABLE PROTOTYPE TEST

CURRENT APP