Rumble · Mobile App + IoT Device
Making dumb appliances smart — without replacing them
A 7-week intern project by a team of four: a mobile app and a working prototype of an IoT device that retrofits the appliances homeowners already own. I led product design and product strategy end to end — from market research and competitive analysis to information architecture, visual language, and the physical device experience.
- Role
- Lead Product Designer · Product Strategy
- Team
- 4 interns — UX · software · hardware
- Duration
- June – Aug 2017
- Platform
- iOS app + IoT device
7
weeks from concept to working prototype
2
deliverables shipped — mobile app and IoT device
4
person team: UX, software, and hardware
Status quo: smart homes are expensive
Two barriers keep homeowners away from the smart home: the high cost of smart products, and the knowledge required to retrofit an existing appliance with technology. Replacing a working washer or dishwasher just to get notifications is a hard sell.
We wanted to create an affordable IoT product for homeowners — a small device that attaches to the appliances people already own, paired with an app that makes them feel smart: notifications when a cycle starts or ends, live status monitoring, and usage tracking with energy-saving tips.
Starting with information architecture
Before any screens, we mapped the app: onboarding and pairing, the home screen with live device status, device management, reminders, and usage tracking. The map kept a four-person team building the same product.
Defining the visual language
We chose blue as the theme color: the appliances the device serves — washers, dishwashers — are all associated with water. The style guide kept the interface light and friendly, closer to a consumer product than a utility.
Onboarding that nudges forward
Show the stage, then the steps
Progress is visible at the top of every onboarding screen. Before entering the pairing process, a brief illustrated overview sets expectations, so hardware setup never feels like a leap of faith.
Remove the exits at the right moments
On certain screens we deliberately removed the back option, nudging users to complete pairing rather than abandon it halfway and end up with a half-configured device.
Simple device management through iteration
Managing multiple devices was the hardest interaction problem. Early versions buried switching inside a management screen. The simple answer: enable switching right on the home screen, so the management screen carries fewer functions and moves to the settings menu.
Differentiating devices was the other problem. Color options let users tell devices apart at a glance — the color of the UI and the light on the physical device both change.
Reminders and usage tracking
Users can create reminders for things like starting the laundry or turning off the dishwasher, and track real-time usage of their appliances — with energy data planned to help reduce usage over time.
The app, the device, the light on the device — one experience.
Takeaways from seven weeks
Constraints focus a team
Seven weeks and four people meant every feature had to earn its place. We accomplished every goal we set — because the goals were set honestly.
Design across the whole product
The app, the device, the light on the device — one experience. Working beside software and hardware engineers daily made the seams disappear.
Design for what can go wrong
Good design solves users' problems — which means thinking through every scenario, so users don't get lost or confused when things happen off the happy path.