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​Airclock
Smart air purifier App

Airclock is a wall-mount air purifier which fits small room space, for example, a small studio room. It saves the space also serves as a piece of furniture like a clock.​The Airclock is designed to have a related App.

Type

UI/UX Design
Self-Initiate Project

Role

Wireframe
Prototype
User Testing
​Visual UI

Starts with Smart home

Background

The project started with a list of investigation on "The next generaition home appliances" where I worked on investing trends and generate hyphsis renders for KruzKruz Design. By the time 2015, "Smart Home" is on the horizon of Chinese market. People feel more confortable accepting more function home appliances into their house and the smartphone usage has reached a peak, it's a great time to think about how wireless technology can creat new interactions in everyday life.

Product + APP

See the product

Airclock is one of the most rememberable product in the "Future Smart home" list. It's a wall-mount air-purifier for young professonials' single apartment. It distinguish from the heavy-duty old fasion air purifier for it's lightweight, elegant and can blend in home enviroment like a piece of furniture. Also it gets rid of the old countroller, use smartphone app as the control.

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Design process

In this project I'm both the Industrial and product designer, so the process involves a lot of back and forth.

Move on to the Airclock App

Research 

Apart from the product research I did on the air-purifier, I also conduct a research specifically for app features. I asks friends and colleges on how they would want the app to conclude. Here are the take-aways I got from interviews.

"I just think it's kind of funny how you come home from work, and have to wait for 30 mintues for your home to come clean then you can finally breathe."

One of my college pointed out that if people buy the air purifier based on the fear they had for air quality, then the home should always be clean no matter when. Therefor, an app must be able to control the machine remotely.

"I personally don't really believe in most air purifier unless you show me the dirty filter or actul number to prove it."

Interview also expressed his concern of the idea "Air-purifying", since it's pretty new concept and not, at that time, a common way to control air, he said he has to see some visibal improvment.

"Most people don't want (or know how to) maintain their home appliance, it's like toothbrush, few people never changes (filter)."

During the research, I also find out from the report the company did on user before, that user doesn't get accustom to change their own purifiers' filters.

Highlights

From the research I got 3 main takeaways to start design. Alongside the regular feature, the app should fullfill this 3 goals.

Control

Compare

Sustain

App on the phone must be able to replace what a traditional remote do to allow control.

People worried about air quality and skeptical about the difference the purifier can make, there must be data shown the change

After one or two years, filters need to be changed, the user needs to be able to buy replacement easily.

The Goal

The Goal of Airclock is for the user to be able to check the air quality while being able to control the device, also they are able to use the product for a long time which means the app can bridge to its filter change.

Ideation + Validation​

User Journey

The first step is matching the app from the machine. In this stage users are pretty excited to receive the new product and ready to take time to learn about how to assumble/use it.

When it's a clear day and there's no need of using purifier, the app would have a pop-up for user to check the data again, deciding wether to open the window

User can control their device remotely. Before come back home, user turn on the machine so that he comes home to the clean air.

When filter's expiring, the app would have a push notification so that user can go into the merchandise to buy new filter.

Wireframe

User Testing

Final Page (2019 Do-over)

Login

Login pages allow user to match their devices with the app by scanning the barcode that's located on the back of the product. The big round icon in the middle indicate the airclock machine. In those pages I tried to make the whole login process simple and seamless, also friendly and humanly so that user can project that feeling into the physical product.
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Homepage

Homepage allows user to turn on/off the machine by pressing the icon. It also presents the data that detected by the sensor inside the machine. Air quality can be measured by PM, CO2, No2 etc, by listing different values, user can be more convinced by the function of the machine.( Red condition means the air quality has not yet met the standard). Also in the night, user can use dark mode.

Data

Data page shows history within a week, it's a feature that encourage user to form habit of using the device. Also it gives insight of improvement of the living condition, it creates feedback so the device can serve better as a smart home appliance.
hamburger menu helps to get access to device profile ( information like warranty period, maintenance)

Buy Filter

The shopping section allows people to buy filters, which will need to be changed every half-full year. Many users are not familiar with the resource or the need of changing the filters, this function allowing the sustainable use of the product and make it easier for users.

Previous Pags

Older version that I designed in 2016.