My Role
Duration
Team
Tools
The Problem
Home visits for technicians to repair HVAC issues are standard in the industry, but oftentimes these visits occur before a proper diagonsis and without needed materials.
Homeowners also feel that their knowledge and confidence using the system is restricted, resulting in service call-backs and financial loss for both parties.
Introducing Plexus
Our Plexus HVAC System has built-in sensors that collect environmental information, energy consumption, past maintenance history, and general HVAC health data for the Plexus Smart Thermostat.
Plexus Smart Thermostat
Plexus HVAC System
The Story Behind Plexus
Home maintenance can be difficult to upkeep, especially for middle-aged adults. Simple tasks like scheduling for repairs and managing cleanliness in their home can become overwhelming.
We saw HVAC systems as a starting point because it's so essential to home maintenance yet overlooked until problems occur. In our research, we explored how these systems work and its market.
The Breakdown
In 2022, the global HVAC market attained a value of nearly $159 billion. Furthermore, forecasts estimate the global HVAC market will grow to $227 billion by 2028 (Service Business Evolution).
Asking About HVAC Maintenance
“I feel unsafe performing some repairs and still want expert help.”
“An HVAC labeling system would be useful and help cut repair time down.”
“I want my system to self-diagnose problems.”
Send an alert informing them before issues happens and provide an option for self repair.
Provide tech options and possible price points.
Send a system report to tech to analyze including all information and the level of concern.
Include damaged parts/potential tools needed in system report.
Provide easy to access parts for diagnosis, reducing time and risk of more damage.
Throughout the design process, there was a lot of back and forth when it came to making decisions on what changes to apply.
Considering the small dimensions of the thermostat, we had to pay close attention to text size and reduce the amount of information shown on the screen.
Our design includes a backplate that the thermostat can be removed from in which the homeowner can use the camera feature to take a photo of their HVAC system.
Homeowners preferred a rectangular shape that felt sturdy and reliable. A side touch bar and tactile buttons were added for precise temperature control.
Gathering Feedback
We tested 11 homeowners in a span of three rounds on which layout and features did they prefer and how they categorized items. After making some improvements, we conducted usability testing to finalize our design.
A/B Testing
Shape language and preference
Card Sorting
Organization and navigation
Usability Testing
Functionality and success rate
Design System
We created a design system that helped us keep our interface consistent with our branding and simplify our development process.
Storytelling can be helpful in simplifying and visualizing complex ideas into understandable scenarios.
Minimizing touchpoints reduces friction and the steps it takes to reach the user's goal.
There is no final design, continuous iteration and testing helps to improve the design to fit the user needs.
