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Smart, but simple: designing Artani for everyday home control

Company:

Lifestyle Technologies

Timeline:

3 Months

Tools:

Figma

My Role

Collected and organized user feedback from various sources
Used affinity mapping to find common user pain points
Planned and ran user interviews and surveys to validate findings
Prioritized issues using an impact vs. effort matrix
Created improved designs for key features
Built A/B test prototypes using Figma
Finalized and handed off approved designs to developers

Challenges

We received a large amount of mixed user feedback that was hard to organize at first
The CEO was unsure if the feedback reflected real problems, so I had to validate it
Some users didn’t complete the A/B tests or gave unclear feedback
I had to balance team feedback with user needs to get everyone aligned
Testing and analyzing results took longer than expected due to follow-ups

When Feedback Flooded In

After we launched the ARTANI home automation system, we got a lot of feedback from users some good, some not so good. So, the CEO called a meeting with the team to talk about how we could improve the app before the next release.

During the meeting, I offered to help by collecting and organizing all the feedback.

I put on my detective hat and turned a mountain of messy feedback into clear, organized insights.

I got the feedback data on the customer support team they sent me the file after I reviewed the whole file I feel it really overwhelming and don’t know where to start so I took a deep breath, drank iced coffee then I think to myself I need to organized all of these information by using affinity mapping to group the similar feedback together and here what I found:

Navigation was too complex – Users struggled to find and complete basic actions.
Parental controls were too limited – Parents wanted more flexibility and age-based settings.
The interface confused older users – Fonts, icons, and layout weren’t senior-friendly.
Too many features overwhelmed users – The app felt cluttered and hard to focus.

Performance issues – Users experienced crashes, lag, and slow loading.
Notifications were annoying and unclear – Users wanted more control and smarter alerts.
Voice assistant integration was unreliable – Setup was confusing and commands often failed.
Visual design needed improvement – Button sizes, contrast, and layout caused usability issues.

Context

This project was about improving the ARTANI home automation app. After we launched the first version, many users gave us feedback. Some liked it, but many said it was hard to use especially parents, kids, and older family members.

Our goal was to make the app easier for all family members to use. We wanted to fix the most important problems before the next launch.

I worked with one other designer, the CEO, developers, and the customer support team. Together, we used user feedback to understand the problems and redesign the features step by step.

When Feedback Flooded In

Context

ARTANI is a home automation app designed to help families control smart-home devices in one place. After launching the first version, the team received mixed feedback. Some users liked the idea, but many found the app difficult to use — especially parents, children, and older family members.

The goal was to make the app easier and more approachable for every household member, while fixing the most critical usability issues before the next launch.

I worked with another designer, the CEO, developers, and the customer support team to collect feedback, understand recurring pain points, and redesign the experience step by step.

My Role

Collected and organized user feedback from multiple sources
Used affinity mapping to identify recurring user pain points
Planned and ran user interviews and surveys to validate findings
Prioritized issues using an impact vs. effort matrix
Redesigned key features and product flows based on user needs
Created A/B test prototypes in Figma to compare design directions
Finalized approved designs and handed them off to developers

Collected and organized user feedback from multiple sources
Used affinity mapping to identify recurring user pain points
Planned and ran user interviews and surveys to validate findings
Prioritized issues using an impact vs. effort matrix
Redesigned key features and product flows based on user needs
Created A/B test prototypes in Figma to compare design directions
Finalized approved designs and handed them off to developers

Challenges

The team received a large amount of mixed feedback that needed to be organized into clear themes
Some feedback reflected real usability problems, while some needed further validation
Not all users completed the A/B tests or provided detailed feedback
I had to balance user needs, business priorities, and team feedback to keep everyone aligned
Testing and analyzing results took longer than expected because several findings required follow-up questions

The team received a large amount of mixed feedback that needed to be organized into clear themes
Some feedback reflected real usability problems, while some needed further validation
Not all users completed the A/B tests or provided detailed feedback
I had to balance user needs, business priorities, and team feedback to keep everyone aligned
Testing and analyzing results took longer than expected because several findings required follow-up questions

Turning scattered feedback into clear patterns

After launching the first version of the ARTANI home automation app, the team started receiving mixed feedback from users. Some users liked the idea, but many struggled with setup, navigation, and everyday smart-home controls.

The CEO brought the team together to discuss how we could improve the app before the next release. I offered to help organize the feedback, identify recurring pain points, and turn scattered comments into clear problem areas the team could act on.

Turning messy feedback into clear patterns

Customer support shared a dense collection of user comments from different channels. I ran an affinity-mapping session to group similar feedback, identify recurring pain points, and turn scattered comments into clear problem areas the team could act on.

The feedback clustered into several recurring themes:

Navigation and discoverability — Users struggled to find and complete basic actions.
Device setup — Setup flows felt inconsistent, unclear, and difficult for first-time users.
Family and parental controls — Parents needed more flexible access settings for different family members.
Too many features overwhelmed users – The app felt cluttered and hard to focus.
Accessibility — Older users had trouble scanning small text, icons, and dense layouts.
Feature overload — Too many options made the app feel cluttered and harder to focus.
Visual hierarchy — Buttons, contrast, spacing, and layout made key actions harder to understand.
Performance — Users reported crashes, lag, and slow loading.
Notifications — Alerts felt noisy, unclear, and difficult to control.
Voice assistant — Setup was confusing and voice commands were unreliable.
Security and permissions — Users needed clearer control over access, devices, and shared home settings.

Navigation and discoverability — Users struggled to find and complete basic actions.
Device setup — Setup flows felt inconsistent, unclear, and difficult for first-time users.
Family and parental controls — Parents needed more flexible access settings for different family members.
Too many features overwhelmed users – The app felt cluttered and hard to focus.
Accessibility — Older users had trouble scanning small text, icons, and dense layouts.
Feature overload — Too many options made the app feel cluttered and harder to focus.
Visual hierarchy — Buttons, contrast, spacing, and layout made key actions harder to understand.
Performance — Users reported crashes, lag, and slow loading.
Notifications — Alerts felt noisy, unclear, and difficult to control.
Voice assistant — Setup was confusing and voice commands were unreliable.
Security and permissions — Users needed clearer control over access, devices, and shared home settings.

Prioritizing what to fix first

After grouping the feedback into themes, I mapped each opportunity on a value–effort matrix to decide what should be addressed first.

I measured value by how strongly each issue affected core users — especially parents, children, and older family members — and effort by the expected design and development complexity.

This helped the team align on a clear roadmap: ship high-value, lower-effort improvements first, then plan larger fixes that required more time and coordination.

After grouping the feedback into themes, I mapped each opportunity on a value–effort matrix to decide what should be addressed first.

I measured value by how strongly each issue affected core users — especially parents, children, and older family members — and effort by the expected design and development complexity.

This helped the team align on a clear roadmap: ship high-value, lower-effort improvements first, then plan larger fixes that required more time and coordination.

After grouping the feedback into themes, I mapped each opportunity on a value–effort matrix to decide what should be addressed first.

I measured value by how strongly each issue affected core users — especially parents, children, and older family members — and effort by the expected design and development complexity.

This helped the team align on a clear roadmap: ship high-value, lower-effort improvements first, then plan larger fixes that required more time and coordination.

Validating priorities with real users

Before locking in the roadmap, I wanted to make sure we were solving the right problems.

I spoke with five users and ran a quick survey with 60 responses to validate the themes from the affinity map. Both methods echoed the same patterns: confusing navigation, small text, unclear alerts, and weak parental controls.

This gave the team more confidence that the highest-ranked items in the value–effort matrix were the right priorities for the next release.

Before locking in the roadmap, I wanted to make sure we were solving the right problems.

This gave the team more confidence that the highest-ranked items in the value–effort matrix were the right priorities for the next release.

Before locking in the roadmap, I wanted to make sure we were solving the right problems.

This gave the team more confidence that the highest-ranked items in the value–effort matrix were the right priorities for the next release.

A/B testing the redesigned flows

I translated the research findings into two prototype directions and tested them with eight users through timed, task-based sessions.

To make the results more reliable, I randomized the testing order and tracked completion time, click errors, and points of confusion. After reviewing the findings with the CEO and team, I refined the stronger direction and retested it.

The approved variant reduced task completion time by 18% and cut click errors in half, helping the team move forward with a validated design direction.

I translated the research findings into two prototype directions and tested them with eight users through timed, task-based sessions.

The approved variant reduced task completion time by 18% and cut click errors in half, helping the team move forward with a validated design direction.

I translated the research findings into two prototype directions and tested them with eight users through timed, task-based sessions.

The approved variant reduced task completion time by 18% and cut click errors in half, helping the team move forward with a validated design direction.

Example of final prototype

Parental confirmation flow

I designed a safer approval flow for shared family use, especially for sensitive actions like unlocking doors or changing security settings.

PIN confirmation: Parents can approve sensitive actions using a 4-digit PIN.
Voice request option: Children can request remote approval when a parent is unavailable.
Blocked action state: The app prevents the action if the PIN is incorrect or approval is not granted.
If the parental code is incorrect or not approved, the system prevents unauthorized actions.
Safer shared access: Families can use the same home system with clearer boundaries and fewer accidental actions.

PIN confirmation: Parents can approve sensitive actions using a 4-digit PIN.
Voice request option: Children can request remote approval when a parent is unavailable.
Blocked action state: The app prevents the action if the PIN is incorrect or approval is not granted.
If the parental code is incorrect or not approved, the system prevents unauthorized actions.
Safer shared access: Families can use the same home system with clearer boundaries and fewer accidental actions.

PIN confirmation: Parents can approve sensitive actions using a 4-digit PIN.
Voice request option: Children can request remote approval when a parent is unavailable.
Blocked action state: The app prevents the action if the PIN is incorrect or approval is not granted.
If the parental code is incorrect or not approved, the system prevents unauthorized actions.
Safer shared access: Families can use the same home system with clearer boundaries and fewer accidental actions.

Font size adjustment

I designed a text size setting to help older users and family members read the app more comfortably.

Adjustable text size: Users can choose the reading size that works best for them.
Live preview: Users can preview changes before applying them.
Clear confirmation: The app confirms the selected setting before updating the UI.
Improved readability: Larger text helps make key actions easier to scan.

Adjustable text size: Users can choose the reading size that works best for them.
Live preview: Users can preview changes before applying them.
Clear confirmation: The app confirms the selected setting before updating the UI.
Improved readability: Larger text helps make key actions easier to scan.

Adjustable text size: Users can choose the reading size that works best for them.
Live preview: Users can preview changes before applying them.
Clear confirmation: The app confirms the selected setting before updating the UI.
Improved readability: Larger text helps make key actions easier to scan.

Family access management

I designed a role-based family management flow to make shared smart-home control safer and easier for households with different users.

Predefined roles: Parents can quickly assign access levels for adults, teens, children, or guests.
Custom permissions: Individual settings can be adjusted for each family member.
Automatic restrictions: Sensitive actions are limited based on the selected role.
Clearer control: Families can share the same home system with fewer mistakes and less setup friction.

Predefined roles: Parents can quickly assign access levels for adults, teens, children, or guests.
Custom permissions: Individual settings can be adjusted for each family member.
Automatic restrictions: Sensitive actions are limited based on the selected role.
Clearer control: Families can share the same home system with fewer mistakes and less setup friction.

Predefined roles: Parents can quickly assign access levels for adults, teens, children, or guests.
Custom permissions: Individual settings can be adjusted for each family member.
Automatic restrictions: Sensitive actions are limited based on the selected role.
Clearer control: Families can share the same home system with fewer mistakes and less setup friction.

Results & Impact

Improved key flows for shared-home control, parental access, text readability, and everyday device management.
Reduced confusion by simplifying navigation, permissions, and notification settings.
Created clearer interaction patterns that made the app easier for children, parents, and older family members to use.
Helped the team move forward with a validated design direction based on user feedback, interviews, surveys, and A/B testing.

What I learned

This project taught me that product design is not just about improving screens — it is about understanding how people actually live with the product.

Designing for families meant considering different needs in the same home: parents needed control, children needed guidance, and older users needed clarity. The biggest lesson was learning how to turn messy feedback into focused decisions, then validate those decisions through research, testing, and iteration.

Smart, but Simple: How I Redesigned ARTANI for Every Family Member

Client:

ARTANI

Timeline:

3 Months

Tool:

Figma