The Brief
This was part of my test to present a case study on wireless installation devices for a start up Picostone that were making smart home devices.
The Objective
To assess and propose a user friendly installation of Amazon Echo Dot.
Echo Dot
Background and research
I began this assignment by first exploring aspects and working of wireless devices. By knowing how wireless devices connect to one another and interact the reason to install it through an app started to dawn on me. The fact that appliances get to talk to each other through the wireless network struck. Next was to understand the audience and their need for home automation. Exploring the various levels and practices across countries of home automation helped to understand the motivators and expectations of the user. Since there was no user interaction involved during this project the understanding of such remained limited to testimonials on the site and some other assumptions. The questions of 'why do we need to install the Alexa app, and why connect the hardware device first and wifi network later?' were yet to be answered. Having no access to the software or its users, I delved into the competitive analysis of installation of other home automation devices available on the internet. For example the Google chromecast. This entire study was developed by reading Alexa manuals and watching user videos of installation.
Google chromecast being a TV plug in was a simpler process to watch, read and understand. It required interaction between a TV set, Google Assistant App and the Chromecast plug in. Its process as mentioned below was quick to grasp and start using the chromecast.
Process: Plug chromecast to TV HDMI >> Open Google Home app >> sign in your account >> Detect chromecast >> connect it to your app >> start casting!
On the other hand, Alexa Echo dot led its users through some back and forth of devices. Here too, there was a three way interaction of Alexa App, Alexa Echo Dot and your home WiFi. While watching the users in the video blogs seemed to have shown the process quickly in a 6-10 mins video. However I kept wondering would kids or elderly feel the same through it? Having seen Indian advertisments of Alexa helping this audience of elderly and children connect, I wondered whether its installation process was too designed by keeping in mind this same demographic. Alexa's configuration went as mentioned below:
Process: Plug in Echo Dot to power >> Download and Sign in Alexa App >> Choose your Echo device >> Set up your wifi >> Manually connect to dot >> go to wifi settings of phone >> select device wifi >> come back to app and set up wifi network >> select your home wifi >> authenticate and connect the wifi >> Set up complete!
The Conclusion
What kept daunting here in the process is that why were the users asked to set up wifi twice? Even though the users complete the installation as prompted by Amazon in the App, the two wifi set ups did put user in an unresolved confusion. I watched Alexa installations of various versions but this step was retained in all. While reflecting on it, I deduced that the first Wifi set up prompt enabled Alexa's device wifi to interact with your app and second wifi set up enabled the interaction between Alexa Dot's wifi and your wifi network. Hence, I redesigned this process with an addition of a few steps that clarified this set up requirement.
The Prototype
Basing on the conclusion I designed the UX for Amazon Alexa Echo Dot with the prototype design inspired by a clean cut Google Assistant App design.
