OVERVIEW
Korea's No.1 Home Security App for the past decades.
Founded in the 1980s, Commax is the best home security interphone manufacturer of Korea. Through Cloud, the Commax app has provided the functions of On/Off switches for lighting and gas banner and of others related to home security; overall, it works to form an easily accessible and usable app. However, we cannot overlook the fact that all individuals possess different backgrounds and environments. I noticed the one-dimensional app experience flow and design that lack attention to the disabled individuals or ones who live under special circumstances. Therefore, through this redesign project, I aim to direct the Commax app to a rebirth for the convenience and accessibility for all.
💁 See Full Prototype
ROLE
UI Designer (Individual)
DURATION
1.5 Weeks
PROGRAM
Adobe XD, Photoshop, Premiere Pro
USER RESEARCH & INSIGHTS
"I'm blind living alone. I am having a hard time to let my family or helpers in to my house."
Based on user interviews with a number of residents living in Gojan Lotte Castle Park and data from the comments of the Google Play, I discovered ages, physical conditions, and circumstances of residents all differed.
"Everyday, I return home from work, and, alone in the cold, I shiver and shiver until my room heats up. I know that I can remotely turn on the heater through the Commax app, but I always forget as I am internally surrounded by thoughts and externally surrounded by other people at the subway on my way back home. Sometimes, I want a cozy room to greet me." - 👩🏻 Yeon-jung K. (Single, 31)
"I sometimes forget to turn off the air conditioner before I leave for a meeting or a travel, and, every time, I ponder about the heavy extra charge that is expected to impose on me." - 👩🏻🦱 Soon-ja C. (Housekeeper, 54) (Photo below)
"I live alone and am visually impaired. To help me, my family and helpers come to my house, but I can only open the door through the interphone, which is difficult to find." - 🧑🏻 Young-sik K. (Single, 44)
"I have to open the door whenever the mails come, but I cannot move easily as my joints hurt. I want to tell the mailmen to just leave the mails outside, but I don't even have the energy to loudly project my voice."- 👵🏻 Hye-ja P. (Housekeeper, 78)
"The features on the app are so small that I sometimes get overwhelmed to even use the app." - 👴🏻 Young-gyu D. (Retired, 67)
PERSONA
Let's empathize users
👩🏻 Yuri is speaking 📢:
"I am Yuri, a single woman of age 31. I ride the subway and arrive at my cold house with exhaustion and in isolation. After I arrive, watching a movie under a cozy blanket and ending my day are the biggest joy! I get cold very easily, so I always thought that it would be nice to have my house warm up before I arrive. Sometimes, I activate the heater for my house about 10-20 minutes before I arrive, when I remember to do so at the subway. But, there are more times when I forget to do so, so I become even more lonely with only the coldness that greets me when I arrive at home."
🧓🏻 Chang-yong is speaking 📢:
"I am Chang-yong Kim, and I currently live alone after my wife passed away five years ago. Recently, my body feels uncomfortable, and I experience a symptom of shaking hands. To help me, social workers and my family periodically come to my house. However, whenever the interphone rings for the entrance to my house and the apartment, it is difficult to walk to the interphone and then to the door, so I confront difficulties with simply opening the door. I would be thankful if there is a function that addresses this problem."
IDEATION
What can be more improved and how?
Many individuals were highly satisfied about the overall functions of Commax. However, there still remains design improvement that can be made for better user experience aiming for residents under unique conditions. To embrace users of a wide range of ages and of special conditions, I have decided upon creating a handy remote controller style application that "anybody" can confidently use by providing the following tools:
(1) Remote Heater * Air Conditioning Reserve Time
(2) Doors connecting with the phone - Open * Close Door Remotely
👨🦽🚶♀️👩🦯🚶👨🦼👵🏽👴🏾👳🏼👩🏻🦲🧒🏿...🧙♂️
APP FEATURES
Redesigned COMMAX
Experience your new COMMAX application with new functions for better living.
Handy Design * On/Off Switch
For the users who are uncomfortable with the small size of the Typeface or Container, all the sizes have been enlarged to reach the form that the users want. Moreover, the On/Off heat switch has been altered from the sliding feature to one that controls the On/Off function even when the users touch on the screen apart from the slider; in addition, the color changes whenever the On/Off feature is clicked on, allowing the users to intuitively know that it has turned on or off.
👍 Like 1 💬 Comment 1
🧓🏻 Chang-yong likes this function.
↳ Chang-yong: Thank you so much for updating new design system! Now it is much easier to click On/Off button.
Easily Noticeable Temperature
When the room reaches the "hot" temperature of 26 degrees Celsius or more, the color turns red, and, when the room reaches the "cold" temperature of 20 degrees Celsius or less, the color turns blue. This way, the design has been structured for the users to easily notice the condition.
👍 Like 1 💌 Share 1
🧓🏻 Chang-yong likes this function.
Convenient Time Reserve Tool
The title or setting of the temperature, On/Off, time, day of the week, and specific date can be set and saved to fit the users' wants. For times of travel, commute, when the house is left empty from all the members of the family, and other exceptional cases that regularly repeat or occur on certain days, this tool can be utilized. As a domino effect, energy through the air conditioner or heater can be conserved. This function of On/Off is available anywhere and anytime.
👍 Like 2 💬 Comment 2 💌 Share 1
👩🏻 Yuri likes this function. 🧓🏻 Chang-yong likes this function.
↳ Yuri: Omg!! 🙌 Didn't expect Commax would offer this function! So excited for having a cozy room when I get back home! Good job Commax 👏
↳ Chang-yong: Thank you Commax, my helper just finished all the settings. I go to a senior club every Tuesday and Friday and sometimes I forgot to turn off the heater.
One-Touch Call with Visitors * Door Open
The users can answer calls for the entrance of the house or apartment like phone calls. Reports for suspicious individuals are available, and records of face calls remain for a week after the calls. which can be accessed anytime. It is a system that can be embraced by not only the individuals with visual and auditory disabilities but also those who are out of home and elderlies with difficulties in hearing.
👍 Like 2 💬 Comment 2
🧓🏻 Chang-yong likes this function. 👩🏻 Yuri likes this function.
↳ Chang-yong: Now it's much more comfortable since I don't have to go up to the interphone just to see who is visiting. Thank you.
↳ Yuri: My mom just visited me to give me some food she made without even telling me while I was at work. This function hugely helped me letting her in to my house without any troubles. 😍
APP FEATURES
Design Comparison
Like the original design of the Commax application, the design obtains the smallest limit of components and works to provide an intuitive platform that can be easily used by many users. In replacement of a format of a list, a format of a grid is adopted for the convenience in touching the screen, for the enablement of elderlies or ones who lack in vision to use the application with facility.
REFLECTION
Home Security Service, Users in diverse conditions and Universal Design
The fundamental basis of a home security service is its ability to enable the users to secure and manage the house. And, for the users to lift the usability and effectiveness of the service to the greatest extent, the design plays a significant role. In the process of completing this project, I continuously questioned myself of what design can be used with facility, what design can be used with comfort.
One point in need of improvement is the temperature setting: a change in the color of the thermometer or the entire container can be more easily noticed by the users. Another concern is that the numbers may not be clearly noticed, for they are comparatively smaller than the other texts.
Another point of concern is that the function in response to a call from the front door that projects "call" or "decline" design components . Through the User Testing, there has been a point made about the fact that the two components are adhered together, sometimes causing troubles for the users to click on the correct element. In response to the concern, I will actively consider decreasing the size or creating a different arrangement.
Through the design project, I eyed the minorities who are widely known through interviews, surveys, etc. but, in turn, ignored, and I worked to improve and reform this unfortunate reality. Different from other general applications, the particular application works with the topic of "home security," so I worked to provide a solution through UX design that acknowledges and considers the existence of diverse populations of people, beyond my personal knowledge. Now, I end with the statement that addresses my sincere hope: while KT, Samsung, and many other companies launch such home security apps, I hope to contribute to and see the emergence of a version that now also considers these minorities.
PRESENTATION SLIDES (IN JAPANESE)
PROTOTYPE
Mid-Fidelity Prototype
