Interaction Designer
Designing Product UI for home appliances
HMI design | Product UI | Digital Accessibility | Design System
(Please reach out to me to view the in detail case study.)
Interaction Designer at Electrolux, a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer with North American headquarters in Charlotte, NC.
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Take a look at the articles covering the newest project I contributed to, soon to hit the market. My role involved spearheading the interface design for this cutting-edge induction cooktop.
My Role
I was an Interaction Designer, building software and hardware digital interfaces for physical interfaces for Electrolux and Frigidaire products.
Projects worked on
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Designed TFT, LCD, and hard button interactions for multiple products.
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User flows and screens for IKEA Oven.
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Research, interface design, and usability testing for the next-generation premium Induction touchscreen user interface.
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Build connectivity workflows for connecting devices to the appliances.
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Ideation, concept building, market, and user research for hoods interface design.
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Built accessibility guidelines for the company's design system.
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Conducted multiple benchmarking research on competitive products to understand current trends and stay relevant to the market.
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Collaborated with global teams and built designs that were globally relevant.
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A sole designer on other small scale projects varying from ovens to dishwashers.
Responsibilities
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I specialized in crafting product UX/UI for different home appliances. An example of my work includes designing a user interface for an IKEA oven, ensuring a holistic experience, and enabling users to achieve perfectly cooked dishes through features like Sous Vide and Slow Cooker.
2. I played a crucial role in Electrolux's global project for the next-gen premium Induction touch screen UI. Emphasizing connectivity and user-friendly features like assisted cooking and cook-to-chef modes, I crafted intuitive experience for the interface, enhancing the cooking process. This project, slated for multiple sectors, demanded weekly collaboration with international teams, alongside several other similar projects.
3. I advocated for digital accessibility and was part of a global team that developed accessibility guidelines for the company's design system.
4. Apart from this, I have also been a lead UX designer on multiple other projects, conducting end-to-end design processes from conceptualization to development.
Team Collaborations
Our design team included UX, Industrial, CMF, and Graphic Designers. I collaborated closely with software, electronics, and development teams.
We embraced an agile process with cross-functional teams, utilizing design sprints for high-priority projects and conducting comprehensive workshops to delve into project intricacies.
Furthermore, the team encouraged continuous learning and skill development opportunities.
Design Process
The overall timeline for a project spans 3-4 years, allowing for a more extensive process with multiple usability tests and prototype iterations. This extended duration ensures thorough testing and refinement at each stage of development.
During my tenure at Electrolux, my role involved being part of multiple projects at various stages of development. This dynamic environment required me to adapt to different tasks based on the specific needs of each project.
From conceptualization to design ideation, prototype development, and usability testing, I took on diverse responsibilities depending on the stage of the project. This multifaceted involvement allowed me to comprehensively understand the product lifecycle. It provided me with valuable experience in navigating different stages of project development.
Our design process followed the following workflow:
At Electrolux, we followed an Agile methodology, which provided a structured framework for our project workflow.
Research and Design Strategy
At the outset of each sprint, our team convened planning sessions to delineate sprint objectives and prioritize tasks. This entailed dissecting project requirements into manageable tasks and estimating the associated effort.
At Electrolux, our research methodology was both comprehensive and iterative, involving numerous cycles of initial user and market research. We gathered insights through a range of methodologies, including interviews, surveys, and market analysis. Subsequently, these insights informed the development of storyboards, personas, and hypotheses, affording a profound comprehension of user needs and behaviors.
Building on this foundation, we crafted design concepts tailored to the identified user needs and pain points. These concepts underwent iterative refinement based on feedback and insights gleaned from user testing. To substantiate our concepts, we created interactive mockups enabling users to realistically engage with the proposed solutions.
Research documentation:
Ideation:
Ideation workshops were mainly conducted on Miro because the teams were spread globally.
Concept testing:
Design and implementation
Following the initial concept validation through interactive mockups, we transitioned to building low-fidelity wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes to further refine and validate our designs.
Low-fidelity wireframes served as a blueprint for the user interface, outlining the product's layout, structure, and functionality in a simplified manner. These wireframes let us focus on the overall information architecture and user flow.
Once the wireframes were refined and approved, we developed high-fidelity prototypes. These prototypes were designed to closely resemble the final product, incorporating detailed visual elements, interactions, and animations. High-fidelity prototypes provided a more realistic representation of the user experience, allowing us to conduct more advanced user testing and gather feedback on specific design elements.
Taxonomy
Figma Designs
User testing and Iteration
While building low-fidelity wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, we continued to iterate based on user feedback and usability testing results.
Multiple rounds of usability tests were conducted throughout the process to ensure that our designs evolved in alignment with user needs and preferences, ultimately leading to the development of intuitive and user-friendly interfaces.
These usability reports were shared in a timely manner with developers, project managers, and industry experts to maintain transparency on the design decisions being made.
Execution
Once the designs were finalized, we compiled comprehensive specifications for the development team. These design specs provided detailed guidance on each feature's functionality, interaction behaviors, and visual elements.
The design specifications included annotated wireframes or mockups that highlighted specific design elements and provided contextual information to aid developers in understanding the intended functionality. Additionally, they outlined interaction states, animations, and transitions to ensure a consistent and cohesive user experience across the application.
Furthermore, the design specifications documented design rationale, guidelines, and best practices to maintain design consistency and facilitate efficient development.
Design Specifications:
Impact
My impact on Electrolux's work has been profound and multifaceted:
1. Design System and Digital Accessibility: I spearheaded digital accessibility within the global design team, championing inclusivity in product interfaces. Through prioritizing accessibility and embedding guidelines into the Electrolux design system, SHAPE, I ensured that Electrolux products are accessible to all individuals, irrespective of their abilities or impairments.
2. Innovation and Integration of Design Trends: My initiative to revamp ongoing projects by integrating cutting-edge design trends has substantially improved user experiences and feature integration.
3. Enhancing User Experience: I focused on improving the product journey through accessibility optimization and workflow refinement, resulting in significant enhancements in user experience, achieving a remarkable 42% improvement.
4. Cost-Effective Solutions: My development of cost-effective UI solutions for competitive markets has resulted in a 28% reduction in development costs, all while preserving full functionality. This innovative approach has streamlined resource allocation, guaranteeing that Electrolux products maintain their competitiveness without sacrificing quality or user experience.
5. Research Driven Designs: My dedication to user research and data-driven insights significantly influenced design decisions and product strategy. Through user interviews, A/B testing, and iterative usability testing, I acquired valuable insights into user needs and preferences. Leveraging these insights, I boosted usability by 23%, ensuring that designs aligned effectively with user expectations. This research-driven approach played a pivotal role in crafting user-centric designs that resonated with our target audience, ultimately fostering positive user experiences.
Overall, my proactive efforts have had a transformative impact on Electrolux's work, driving inclusivity, innovation, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness across projects.