book

Designing Connected Products

by Martin Charlier, Alfred Lui, Claire Rowland, Elizabeth Goodman, Ann Light

May 2015

Intermediate to advanced

724 pages

19h 20m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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From “Internet of Things” to “Connected Products”The Design ChallengeWhy Did I Write This Book?Why Is It About Consumers?Who Is It For?About the AuthorsHow This Book Is OrganizedAcknowledgmentsPersonal Acknowledgments
How Is UX for IoT Different?Functionality Can Be Distributed Across Multiple Devices with Different CapabilitiesThe Focus of the User Experience May Be in the ServiceWe Don’t Expect Internet-Like Glitches from the Real WorldIoT is Largely AsynchronousCode Can Run in Many More PlacesDevices are Distributed in the Real WorldRemote Control and Automation are Programming-Like ActivitiesComplex Services Can Have Many Users, Multiple UIs, Many Devices, Many Rules and ApplicationsMany Differing Technical Standards Make Interoperability HardIoT is All About DataA Design Model for IoTUI/Visual DesignInteraction DesignInterusabilityIndustrial DesignService DesignConceptual ModelProductizationPlatform DesignSummary
Types of Connected DeviceMultipurpose ComputersEmbedded DevicesEmbedded HardwareEmbedded SoftwareConnected SensorsPassively Trackable ObjectsRFID and NFCBeaconsBridging Physical and Digital: Sensors and ActuatorsSensorsActuatorsThe Challenge of Powering DevicesConserving Battery LifePowering Devices Creates UX ChallengesSummary
Why is Networking Relevant to IoT UX?Networking Issues That Cause UX Challenges for IoTIoT Devices Often Connect Only IntermittentlyLatency and Responsiveness May VaryNetworks Are Not 100% ReliableThe Impact of Latency and Reliability on UXOther Ways Networking Can Impact UXThe Architecture of the Internet of ThingsDedicated GatewaySmartphone as GatewayDirect Internet ConnectionDevice-to-Device ConnectionsService-to-Service ConnectionsHow System Architecture Affects UXAdvantages of GatewaysEdge devices can be kept simpleEasier setup and maintenanceThe system can function when the Internet is unavailableLower latencyEnabling interoperabilityDisadvantages of GatewaysTime consuming and costly to developA potentially confusing point of failureTypes of NetworkHow Internet Networking WorksTypes of Internet NetworkEthernetWiFiCellular dataTypes of Local NetworkingBluetoothProprietary radioZigBee and ZWaveRFID and NFCPowerline networkingIP to the EdgeNetwork Communication PatternsPush, Pull, and PollingIoT Application ProtocolsInternet ServiceThe Role of the Internet ServiceAPIsHow do web APIs work?Key design issues for APIsGranularityStructureThird-party APIsSummaryCase Study 1: Proteus Digital Health: The Connected PillThe TechnologyEarly Use Case 1: CaregivingEarly Use Case 2: Informing Hypertension TreatmentDiscussion
Making Good ProductsWhat is Productization?Why is This in a UX Book?Why is This in an IoT Book?Products Can Be ServicesFrom Innovation to Mass MarketInnovators Are Not ConsumersWhat’s Different About Consumers?Value Propositions for IoTA new product in a new marketA new type of product in an existing marketA low-cost entrant to an existing marketA niche entrant to an existing marketTools Versus ProductsWhat Makes a Good Product?The Product Solves a Real Problem (and Makes This Clear)The Product Comes at a Cost Proportional to the Perceived ValueThe Product is Pleasing to UseServices in IoTIoT Products Combine Devices and ServicesHow Users Understand Devices and ServicesService EcosystemsBuilding a Service OfferingBusiness ModelsWhat is a Business Model?How Do Business Models Affect UX?Device and Service ModelsBringing Digital Business Models to Physical ProductsSummary
The Role of Research in Connected Product DesignInitial Questions and ConceptsActors and StakeholdersBut first, how not to define peopleActors, roles, and expertiseStakeholdersWhen needs conflictThe Context of InteractionOperational contextBehavioral contextSocioculturalEcologicalTechniques: From Asking to Watching to MakingAsking: Elicitation ToolsMapsTimelinesDiaries and usage logsThe Importance of ExplanationsWatching: Field VisitsMaking: Generative MethodsSummary
Generating the Elevator PitchWhy Does Your Product Matter?Expanding the definition of “value”Aspirations and goalsMoral behaviorTools for Discovering and Communicating ValuePortraitsImmersion toolsCustomer journey mapsWhat Is Your Product?Conceptual Models and Domain MetaphorsGrounded InnovationWhat Does the Product Do?Design PrinciplesService Ecology MapsRecurring Questions for Product StrategyPersuasion and Behavior ChangeData OwnershipAutomationSummaryCase Study 2: Little Kelham: Connected Home

An Introduction to Thinking About Physical Objects in IoTThe Demise of “Form Follows Function”Another Layer of ExperienceInteraction and Placement: Basic Design DriversDevices that are hidden away and only rarely interacted with beyond initial setupDevices that are interacted with occasionally, but that are more conspicuous and abundant due to what they doDevices that are interacted with frequently and that are likely to be on display to be easily accessible or visibleChallenging These CharacteristicsMaking Stuff: Differences to UXProduct Design, Industrial Design, Design EngineeringMindset of Industrial DesignersDesign Freeze as Opposed to Continuous IterationEssentials of the Design ProcessEstablishing a Design DirectionMood boards and design themesCMF researchThe importance of sketchingFormulating a design languageDetailing and Developing the Design3D modeling and renderingCAD/CAMModel making and prototypingEngineering and ProductionHardware engineering, DFM, DFAProduct certificationCollaboration Between UX and IDThree Faces of a Physical ProductForm, Function, and UsabilityAnthropometrics and ergonomicsAffordancePracticalitiesFunctionality and interfacesAesthetics and AppearanceConsistency and cohesion: Making connectionsConveying brand image and brand promisePersonality and characterMultisensory: Weight, texture, temperatureMaterials, Manufacturing, and MaintenanceOperating environment and maintenanceManufacturing constraintsSustainability and recyclingBOM cost versus future-proofingSummary
Types of InteractionPhysical ControlsVisual and Screen InterfacesLight outputVisual inputScreens and displaysCustom segment displaysCharacter set displaysDynamic displaysElectronic ink displaysIs a screen better than no screen?Audio and Voice InterfacesAudio outputVoice interfacesVoice as outputVoice as inputGestural InteractionIntangible interactionsTangible and Tactile InteractionTangible user interfacesTactile output: Vibration, force feedback, and shape shiftingContext-Sensitive InteractionComputer Vision, Barcodes, and Devices “Seeing”Are QR codes good or bad?Multimodal Interaction and Interface CombinationsIoT-Specific Challenges and OpportunitiesDeciding on the Level of Interactivity of a Connected DeviceMobile and Web UIsGlanceable and Ambient InterfacesWorking with Limited Input and Output CapabilitiesUniversal Design and AccessibilityAccessibilityUniversal Design—We’re All Disabled SometimesSummaryCase Study 3: Ford SYNC 3: Connected CarAbout Ford SYNC 3Designing for Connected Car SystemsA Functional-Rich Small SpaceLike Your Tablet but Intentionally DifferentDemonstrating and Implementing an Iterative User-Centered Design ProcessFrom Designing Features to Designing for ExperiencesMobility as an Emotional System
Cross-Platform UX and UsabilityWhat Is Interusability?Conceptual Models and CompositionConceptual ModelsThe user model and the design modelMultidevice services are conceptually more complexCompositionPatterns of compositionDetermining the right compositionWhat best fits the context of use?What connectivity and power issues do you need to consider?Can you work with preexisting devices?What interaction capabilities do the various devices have (or could you cost-effectively include on a custom device?)Does the system need to work if some devices are unavailable?How accurate does sensing need to be?Do users have set expectations of devices?How do you balance cost, upgradeability, and flexibility?How central to the service are the devices?ConsistencyGuidelines for Consistency Across Multiple DevicesUse consistent terminologyFollow platform conventionsAesthetic stylingInteraction architecture and functionalityConsider the most likely combinations of devicesContinuityData and Content SynchronizationHandling Cross-Device Interactions and Task MigrationBroader contexts of interusabilitySummary
The CompuServe of ThingsWhat Is Interoperability and Why Is It a Problem?Network InteroperabilityInteroperable DataHow Can Devices Interoperate?Interoperability at Different Levels of System ArchitectureOne edge device connects directly to anotherOne edge device connects to another via local gateway/hubOne gateway connects to anotherEdge devices connected via a cloud platformService to service over InternetProducts and services can interoperate on several levelsFunctioning Together Versus True InteroperabilityHow Can We Improve Interoperability?The UX of InteroperabilityUX Issues in InteroperabilityKnowing which devices will talk to each otherGetting devices to coordinateGeneric versus specific UIsOrganizing devices and accessing controlsInteroperability puts users in controlSummaryCase Study 4: LOOP: Connected Pelvic Floor Exerciser
SecurityThe UX of SecurityWhy IoT Security is a Big ChallengeDesign Requirements for Usable IoT SecurityLimit the damage that can be causedKeep devices secureMake authentication easierKeep users in control of permissionsMake the invisible visibleDesign security measures to suit user and domain needsPrivacyInformation and PrivacyHandling data with tactCollecting and distributing dataAggregationPatterns of behaviorLegal Issues, Consent, and Data ProtectionIn the USAIn EuropePrinciples of data management for privacyPrivacy settings and informed consent“Privacy by Design and Privacy by Default”Social EngineeringMitigating the dangers of social engineering?EnvironmentWhat’s the Environmental Impact of an IoT Product?ManufacturingUsageMaintenance and upgradeabilityDisposalWhat Can Designers Do?Summary
SetupCreating Good Setup ExperiencesPreconfiguration Versus User EffortFlexibility and ModularityInstructionsContext of UseIs Anyone Else Involved?Getting Things ConnectedGetting Real Benefit Out of the SystemTest It’s WorkingIn-Life HousekeepingDevice ManagementNotifications, Messages, and AlertsUser ManagementSystem MaintenanceDiscoveryControl ExperiencesPrioritizing Key ControlsGrouping ControlsSending Commands to Other DevicesActivity FeedsPlatformsCommon ComponentsA common design language for UI elementsDesign templates and patternsHandling instructions from multiple users/devicesViewing interrelationships between devices, services, and rulesAutomationThe Technology of Getting Things ConnectedSet Up Gateway or Directly Internet-Connected DeviceMobile DevicesPairing DevicesBluetooth pairing options“Just works”Numeric comparisonPasskey entryOut of band pairingSummaryCase Study 5: BRCK: Rugged Portable WiFi HotspotDesigning the Setup of the BRCKWhat is BRCK?Designing for BRCKUser Learning CurveThe Unboxing ProcessWhat We Learned and Changed
IntroductionData in IoTFlow of Data in Connected ProductsData ScienceTypes of IoT DataStatic versus dynamicDirect versus inferredBig versus small, real-time versus historicalTime, frequencyAugmenting Your Data with Third-Party DataTypes of Data-Driven ProductSmart SystemsAmbient AnalyticsPersonal AssistantsQuantified SelfData Above the Level of a Single ProductWhat This Means for DesignMaking Meaning and Enabling ActionUnderstand motivations and goalsProvide contextActionable insights, explanations, and dataAttention is a Scarce ResourceExperience Over TimeInference and InterpretationTransparency and TrustData May Not Be ObjectiveWhen Behavioral Change is a GoalVisualizing DataUsing Data in the Design ProcessSummary
The Necessity of Working IterativelyUsing Prototypes to Answer QuestionsWhat Does the World Look Like with Your Product in It?CollagesProduct/Service VisualizationsStoryboardsMedia from the futureVideo prototypingWhat Does Using a Product Feel Like?Experience prototypesWizard-of-Oz demonstrationsHow Does a Product Support a Service (and Vice Versa)?How Do We Prototype with Data?Canned dataFaking itHow Will People Interact with an Interface?Inputs and outputs: beyond the screen, keyboard, and mouseAdapt a working deviceConnect toolkit componentsNew screen interaction paradigmsEvaluating placement, size, and scaleHow Do You Decide What to Prototype?Prototype what you care aboutBuild as little from scratch as possibleFit the medium to the purposeEvaluation: Success Demands FailureSummary
It’s Complicated...Scaling the UXKeeping Track of Multiple DevicesLooking Beyond DevicesAddressing User NeedsContextControlPutting Users in ControlWhy is using IoT like programming?How IoT products displace actions from resultsDisplacement in spaceDisplacement in timeDisplacement in function/applicationProgramming and notationsWhat is programming?How can we make controlling complex systems easier?Make programming easierIs programming the right model?Giving Machines ControlMake the system smarterWhat intelligent systems can doUX risks of autonomous systemsReduced controlReduced predictability and comprehensibilityBalancing user control with system autonomyApproaches to Managing ComplexityHow UX in the Platform Scales UpData ModelsSystem-generated metadata about devicesMetadata about the device contextData about the systemData about the wider contextData about the userHow much modeling do you need?Summary

Overview

Networked thermostats, fitness monitors, and door locks show that the Internet of Things can (and will) enable new ways for people to interact with the world around them. But designing connected products for consumers brings new challenges beyond conventional software UI and interaction design.

This book provides experienced UX designers and technologists with a clear and practical roadmap for approaching consumer product strategy and design in this novel market. By drawing on the best of current design practice and academic research, Designing Connected Products delivers sound advice for working with cross-device interactions and the complex ecosystems inherent in IoT technology.