Philips Halo
Seamless physical-digital interaction in smart lighting control.
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New York Institute of Technology
UX/UI Design & Development
M.A.Thesis Project
Spring 2024
Problem
Client: Philips Hue
Launched in 2012, Philips Hue aims to reinvent its smart light system for its 12th anniversary after continuous growth.
Challenges
Enhance user experiences for a broad, familiar user base without disrupting their accustomed functionalities.
Introduce simpler, more intuitive controls suitable for quick adaptation.
Opportunities
Create a device that offers easy lighting control for every household member, moving beyond just smartphone users.
Design a universally intuitive system that homeowners, family members, and guests can operate with ease.
Solutions
Relinking Person, Lighting, and Home
Transition significant controls from smartphones to physical interfaces integrated within the home environment.
Ensure the wall-mounted control becomes a natural part of the home, enhancing daily interactions with the lighting system.
Increased Accessibility
Allow household members without the app to easily manage lighting settings directly.
Enable guests and non-tech-savvy users to intuitively adjust lighting without barriers or complexity.
Enhanced sensitivity to detect subtle discomfort during critical operations.
Expanding User Base and Integration
Broaden the user base to include all individuals in a home, making Philips Hue an essential feature for every occupant.
Deeply integrate smart lighting into routine home activities, ensuring it is indispensable and universally user-friendly.
Competitive Analysis
Transition significant controls from smartphones to physical interfaces integrated within the home environment.
Ensure the wall-mounted control becomes a natural part of the home, enhancing daily interactions with the lighting system.
Ideation
Conducted a survey to determine preferred types of interaction.
Options included: digital display only, display with physical controls, and physical controls only.
Over half of the participants preferred a combination of display with physical controls.
Explored different physical controls: button, dial, slider, switch, and others.
Dial received the highest support as the preferred physical control method.
Prototyping
User Testing
Explored two types of dials: Traditional multi-finger and single-finger for touchscreen consistency.
Prototyped various sizes for each dial type.
Conducted tests with eight participants.
Only 2 out of 8 used the single-finger dial as intended.
6 favored the traditional multi-finger dial.
5 recognized the single-finger dial's intent but preferred multi-finger.
Preference for the multi-finger dial influenced the final design.
Interface Design
Recreated Philips Hue mobile and tablet apps in Figma.
Analyzed current design language and interaction patterns.
Adapted UI for Philips Halo's unique form factor.
Ensured consistency with Philips brand identity.
Optimized UI for usability and display dimensions.
User Testing
Group A: Familiar with Philips Hue app.
Group B: Unfamiliar with Philips Hue app.
Tasks: Assigned common tasks for usability evaluation.
Methodology: Conducted A/B testing to assess user preferences and interactions.
Participant Interviews Insights:
Concerns about "home off" button accessibility.
Worries about guests accidentally turning off all lights.
Findings guide refining UI design for better user experience.
Familiar User Group:
Higher success rate in completing tasks.
Encountered slight difficulties, such as changing dining room scenes.
UI changes aimed at optimizing Philips Halo's larger screen.
Unfamiliar User Group:
Faced challenges, including turning off living room lights.
Dual functionality of room cards caused usability issues.
User Interface
User Testing
Task Completion Rate:
Reached 100% after UI design changes.
Participant Feedback Insights:
Concerns raised about button size and layout hierarchy.
Further UI Iterations:
Addressing feedback to enhance usability.
Final Design
