Projects

Background

/

Peace Nest

Year

/

2025

Current Content:

Peace Nest

Smart Home Application

iOS & Android App

Web App

What if your house could tell you exactly where energy is being wasted and help you act on it?

Introduction

The Peace Nest application is a solution that will help users to answer the question "What if your house could tell you exactly where energy is being wasted and help you act on it?" by transforming the smart home experience into a new way that was not possible until now. This solution is helping users effortlessly monitoring and managing their day to day usage.

As I led the the UX and UI, I focused on simplifying complex processes and delivering real time, actionable insights in a user friendly format. The goal was to empower users to take control of their homes, reduce energy waster and save money while maintaining the comfort that people expect from their smart devices.

Warmth Tone

Smart home

Adaptable

Lower Bills

Faster register

Increase Control over devices

Easier device setup

Discovery: Understanding the Landscape

The Challenge

The project began with the overhaul of an outdated smart home control app, which had garnered consistent user complaints due to poor design and usability.

Key issues included:

A clunky interface and inconsistent device management.
An overly complex onboarding process with to many steps before users could access the app.
Lack of real-time feedback on device energy usage.
No dashboards and no adaptable design.
A poor user understanding of the app’s value proposition.

User Pain Points Identified from Legacy Version:

Overcomplicated onboarding with no immediate benefit or context.
Unclear device energy feedback. Overly complex interfaces with minimal guidance for new users.

Research Plan Activities:

Stakeholder workshops to identify key pain points and business goals.
User interviews with 20 participants (50% current and 50% potential users).
Competitive audits comparing the app against other smart home platforms such as Nest and Apple HomeKit.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) on the legacy app to document friction points and user struggles.

Pic. 1/ Understanding the full view of the application landscape, the goals the company was trying to achieve, the issues they had, so I could paint a new picture of what I need to plan to make the users achieve what they need from a smart home application like this.

Pic. 2/ Creating Different flows to start use for the wireframing which then will be used to create the prototypes for different testing and user understanding.

Defining the Strategy: Redefining Goals and Approach

Updated UX Goals:

Based on the research and insights gathered, I decided to reframed the goals to meet user expectations and improve overall experience.

Main Updates:

Frictionless Access:
Allow users to explore the app’s features before requiring them to buy a membership upfront, increasing engagement and trust.
Membership Model:
Introduce a membership system based on value, not gatekeeping.
AI Driven Insights:
Leverage AI to provide personalised insights and long-term value, helping users manage their energy consumption and reduce costs.

Pic. 3/ Refining the goals with new concepts ideas by leveraging key user behavior observations.

*Key Insight:

Users wanted to understand the app’s value upfront and prefer trying it without committing to a membership or initial setup steps.

Design Brief:

The aim was to design an intuitive, adaptive experience that blended the warmth and familiarity of a home environment with the technical sophistication of smart home technology.

The solution needed to:

Simplify onboarding and device setup processes.
Empower users with easy-to-understand insights into energy consumption.
Help users reduce their energy bills and the stress of managing multiple devices.

Design & Prototyping: Creating an Intuitive Experience

Design System:

The Peace Nest Design System was created specifically for this project to ensure consistency, accessibility, and scalability across both the mobile and web platforms. This included defining a unified visual language, component library, and responsive layouts.

Core Design Workflows:

Multiple Entry Points:
I have introduced options for users to either complete full onboarding or explore the app in a "Try Now" mode, letting them experience core features immediately.
Simplified Device Control Flows:
Reduced steps for controlling smart devices from six to just two, streamlining the most common actions such as adjusting temperature and turning on/off lights.
AI-Powered Dashboard:
Designed a daily AI dashboard that provided personalised insights, suggested actions, and energy consumption predictions.

Key Components Designed:

Smart Device Control Cards:
Clear, actionable controls for managing devices.
AI Suggestions Module:
Integrated intelligent prompts based on user behavior.
Free vs. Member Journey Touchpoints:
Clear pathways for both free and subscribed users to experience the app's value.

Tools Used:

Figma: For designing and prototyping the entire user journey.
FigJam & Miro: For collaborative journey mapping and brainstorming.
Stark: To ensure accessibility compliance with WCAG 2.1 guidelines.

Validation & Iteration: User Testing & Refining the Design

Testing Methodology:

I have iterated on the design using A/B testing, remote usability testing, and in-app feedback surveys.

A/B Testing:
Comparing different onboarding entry points (Explore vs. Signup) to see which approach resulted in higher engagement and retention.
Remote Usability Testing:
Conducting tests with 10 users via Maze to observe how they interacted with the app in real-time.
In-App Surveys:
Collecting qualitative feedback from users after seven days of use to assess pain points and satisfaction.

Pic. 2/ Gathering data from different user by leveraging UAT & A/B testing to understand the actual pain point in the old flows and in the ones I developed to see how I can iterate them better for an even higher usability rate.

Metrics Measured:

Time to First Interaction from Registration:
Reduced from 12.5 minutes to just 2 minutes.
Onboarding Drop-Off Rate:
Reduced by 40% following streamlined flows and easier access.
Perceived Value of Membership:
Increased from 2.1 to 4.6 (out of 5) after users experienced value from AI suggestions.

Key Insights:

Real-World Value Precedes Sign-Up:
Users preferred experiencing the value of the app before committing to an account.
Clarity in AI Insights:
Language around energy savings and control needed to be simplified.
Effective Nudges:
Users responded well to real-time nudges and the best example was the reminder to turn off unused devices which showed an immediate impact on energy savings.

Delivery, Launch & Outcomes

Handoff Process:

Delivered annotated Figma files for the Web developers & Zeplin files for the Native developers to ensure seamless integration.
Conducted weekly QA check-ins to ensure high-quality development.
Created a version-controlled design library for synchronisation with development components.

Key Product Results:

Still early stages, but here are some of the main one:

A big increase in Daily Active Users in the first 3 weeks in the beta version, demonstrating the effectiveness of simplified onboarding and engaging features.

40%

Faster and easier
onboarding

flows & setup.

40%

Faster and easier
onboarding

flows & setup.

40%

Faster and easier
onboarding

flows & setup.

User Satisfaction Score: Achieved a remarkable 4.8/5 based on post-launch feedback surveys.

62%

Less hassle &

simpler, smoother

experience.

62%

Less hassle &

simpler, smoother

experience.

62%

Less hassle &

simpler, smoother

experience.

2 in 4 Free Users Upgraded to Membership after receiving three or more personalised AI suggestions.

38%

More control,

lower bills &

less stress.

38%

More control,

lower bills &

less stress.

38%

More control,

lower bills &

less stress.

What contributed to the Success?

Early Exposure to Value:
The “Explore First” option allowed users to immediately understand the app’s benefits.
Real-World Insights:
AI-driven suggestions showed users how the app helped them save time, money, and energy.
Simplicity and Personalisation:
By reducing unnecessary steps and focusing on the most impactful actions, I kept the experience intuitive and aligned with the user needs.