Project – 2019
KRAAN
Kraan is a wall mounted controller with unique interactions that stimulate new experience in visualising and controlling the air.
Client
Midea
Collaboration
Domus Academy
Team
Akshay Purushotham, Pradyumna Surampudi, Rishik Agicha, Yada Wisatekaew, Yu-Hsuan Huang
My roles
Ideation, Interaction design, User experience design, Prototype
You can see my work process here.
Design Goals
1.
Make it brandable
Design a unique, brandable wall mounted air controller for Midea
2.
Make it easy
Achieve intuitive interactions and simplify visualization for functional aspects (eg. air flow/ power consumption)
3.
Make it for short term
Utilize materials which already existed and make it possible to be developed, produced and marketed for the year 2020
4.
Make it for mass market
Position the design to be in mid level products for Chinese market with global compatibility
Background
Midea
is the largest air conditioning manufacturer in China and is one of the top air conditioning manufacturers in the world.
Challenge
Controllers are one of the most important elements in air conditioner environment. It is the main touch point that brands can be exposed to its product users. Therefore, designing an air controller is not only about a proof of functionality but also a brandable aspect in consumer hands.
Unlike remote controller, wall mounted air controller is not always near the users. It has to be one of space’s furnitures/decorations, but always be on the wall and operates as an air controller.
Wall mounted air controller needs to be brandable and proof of its own funtionality in intuitive ways.
A specific archetype was assigned to be a target user of our design.
What we did in this project
Scope of work
UX design
We worked on a new experience which connects the brand and consumers
Interaction design
We designed ways that the product would be interacted with by using different scenarios
Prototype
Physical prototype was created to show how the product works
Click here to see my work process
User Understanding
Personas and User journeys
From the given archetype we developed two personas and generated possible customer journeys.
John, 45
Mechanical Engineer
“I’m frustrated when there is no clear visualisation of technical usage.”
An American who lives in Shanghai. Married, has kids.
Need: Receiving clear and concise details of functionality and statistic from air controller
Pain point: I cannot see power consumption and information about environmental impact from the air controller
Goals: Having control on the reliable product
Liu, 75
“I want to be able to use technology too!”
A retired Chinese mother who stay at home.
Need: I want gadgets to be simple enough for me to use
Pain point: Complication using air controller takes me too much effort and time
Goals: Being able to use technological gadgets by my own when my children are not at home
HOW MIGHT WE
simplify the interface
and
provide detailed visual feedback
?
Let’s start using
KRAAN
Combination of analog and digital interaction in wall-mounted air controller by
Twist left
Twist left and pause to turn on the wall mounted controller. While the air controller is on, twist left means to go back.
Click left/right
Click left/right to go through menu. Twist right to select.
Click top/bottom
Click top/bottom to increase/decrease the values or go through vertical sub menu.
Twist right
Twist right to select.
Concept development & Prototypes
We made Franken-models to test interaction concepts and let the client choose which one should be developed to an electrical prototype.
Tap and twisted was chosen to be developed to be an electrical prototype.
You can see my work process here.
Yada Wisatekaew's portfolio 