2024
Robot Vacuum UX/UI Redesign
UX Research & Design
TU Delft x Versuni
Through systematic and scientifically-based research methods, the first phase of the project aims to understand the current product status, conduct usability evaluations, and formulate a design brief.
Process Overview
Interaction Concept Ideation
Concepts Convergence
Initial Redesign Proposal
Product Understanding
High-end Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Philips’s HomeRun 7000 Series Aqua Robot Vacuum aims to create a comfortable living environment without users’ hassle of cleaning.
There is no doubt that the robot vacuum can auto-pilot itself to completely clean the floor with its powerful suction and mopping tool, multiple sensors for navigating its route and obstacles, and build up customizable cleaning options on users’ HomeRun Robot app.
Equipped with multiple sensors, the vacuum navigates through the house autonomously, avoiding potential hazards.
When the robot returns to the dock, dust is vacuumed into the dust bag, which only requires replacement every 30 days. Dust is properly sealed to prevent users, especially asthma and allergy sufferers, from contacting it.
App Build-up
The HomeRun Robot app serves as the primary interaction point between users and the device. During setup, it is mandatory for users to pair the robot vacuum with the app, and both the device and the app need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
In addition to setup, users can customize their floor cleaning plan according to their needs using the app. From creating cleaning schedules to cleaning specific areas in specific ways, this app offers users a prominent level of autonomy in controlling the system to fit their personal needs.
User Group
Convenience Seekers
People that want a ‘hands-off’ usability and a design that fits their living room.
Within this group of convenience seeker Philips has defines two subgroups, the ‘Younger millennials’ and the ‘Parents with kids 4+ and Pets’ The second group will be the one that we will focus on since it became clear in the client meeting that this is the main target group.
Usability Evaluation
First-hand Usage
Heuristic Evaluation
App Usability Test
Usability Evaluation 1
First-hand Usage
To gain a first impression of the product. We want to have the experience of using the product for the first time as a user. We also want to find out the good points and initial problems that we may encounter which we could validate in the later evaluation process.
In a group of four, we all started out without knowing anything about the product to avoid assumption bias. One person oversees recording the process. And we also took notes when we found insights. After the experience, we analyze the data by selecting interesting clips from the recording.
Result (The most valuable insight was marked in red.)
Usability Evaluation 2
Heuristic Evaluation
For this heuristic evaluation, the 10 usability heuristics of Jakob Nielsen (Nielsen & Molich, 1990) were used as a guideline for finding usability problems. These guidelines are based on human behavior, psychology, and information processing.
To get a clearer insight into when problems occur and to make reviewing the product more manageable a set of 4 tasks was designed. These tasks are the basic tasks a user of the Philips Homerun 7000 Aqua performs when they first use it. The setting up task is something that is only done once while mapping, cleaning, and scheduling are tasks that the users are likely to do more often while using the Robot vacuum.
Result
Usability Evaluation 3
App Usability Test
To gain deeper insights into the issues users encounter while using the system, we conducted a small-scale but high-quality usability test in a lab setting. The purpose of this user test was to gather empirical data on how users navigate the app to complete assigned tasks, identify any aspects of the app that hinder their experience, and collect systemic feedback through a structured form.
Lab Setup
Participants
Number of Participants: 6
Age: 22-27
Test Procedure
Assigned Tasks
1. Rename the Product
Users are tasked with renaming the robot, even if the setup has been completed prior to the test, to assess their ability to customize its settings.
2. Edit the Map
Users are required to mark ‘no-mop’ and ‘no-go’ zones on the app’s map.
3. Silently Clean Room 1
Users are presented with a scenario: they need to use the robot for cleaning without disturbing their sleeping roommate.
4. Buying Replacement
Users are asked to check the status of the robot’s components and attempt to order a replacement through the app.
5. Ask Robot Move to the Spot
Users are instructed to control the robot to move to a designated spot for cleaning without physically touching the robot.
6. Making Schedule
Users need to create a schedule in the app: clean the room according to a set schedule, with the exception of Thursdays at 21:00.
Result
We have analyzed the usability issues encountered by users and grouped them to identify the most common issues throughout the user experience. Below, we summarize the following topics in the order of commonality observed throughout 6 usability tests:
Evaluation Summary
Issue Cards
With all planned evaluations complete, all issues were identified. In order to have a clear overview of what types of issues there are this huge pile of issues was clustered. This resulted in a set of 13 issue cards.
Now that the problems are clear the issue cards can be ranked according to relevance.
Rating Issue Cards
To know which issues we should focus on for possible redesign, there should be more understanding about their impact. With the impact we mean how much of a negative impact the issue has on the overall user experience? Another thing that is relevant to know is the persistence, Does the issue persist as usage time goes on?
Based on this a persistence-impact diagram was made in which the issues were rated.
The issue cards that are in the top right corner have the most impact and the highest persistence, therefore these problems have a high priority for the redesign.
Design Brief
Our design will focus mainly on improving the App, the primary and more visible way of communicating with users, while not excluding the physical product’s features, like physical buttons and voice alerts.
