I acted as a product manager to start redefining our main goal for users with specific product requirements. After finding out our “Jobs to be done” for the smart home router with our new product manager, I started drafting out the information architecture for this product system. By finalizing our feature sets, I delivered all interaction flows for both mobile app and LCD to create a unified experience.
OVERVIEW
When I entered into the company in 2015, this project has already started. The project team members changed regularly and the project was delayed without breakthrough progress. In 2016 IFA, we got emphasis from the market, and the high-level managers started pushing the product to be launched in early 2017. When I started this project, our team’s progress suffered because of lack of resources. During the time, we had the new product manager, Scott, to reshape the product vision and brought in new team members, Hengjing and Jeeyoung, to finalize all visual assets. This product is the first time the whole team in TP-LINK Research America worked together to deliver a cross-platform product.
CHALLENGES
Besides the lack of resources, ineffective project management, and unchangeable hardware specification, different viewpoints from stakeholders on the product hinder the product’s development. A group of engineers suggested making the LCD interface as the primary interface. This idea actually is from an existed competitor’s product – Securifi Almond+. Also, our CEO and sales team had different opinions on the target audience. They thought the smart home feature was only an additional benefit, and they would like to target at networking customers to sell our product since that is what TP-LINK is good at. This thought might shift product to a wrong direction and hard for us to convince users to buy.
PRODUCT POSITION
Should we put all functions on the touchscreen?
USER NEEDS
Will users spend more money on the touchscreen rather than higher speed?
KEY FINDINGS
Based on a survey we distributed to our beta users, around 30% of participants placed their router in a place hard to reach every day, such as a basement or on the top of a cabinet. That means making LCD interface as the primary interface might be not useful for them. We need to consider why and when users want to interact with the LCD screen physically to deliver needed interface rather than giving users every function and overwhelm them.
Your router’s location report from our beta users (Around 90 people)
Regarding to what our CEO said, the issue is our price might be too high for us to convince buyer to pay more. Currently, regular AC1900 dual-band routers range from $120 – $190. Customers value smart home hubs by themselves, in some cases up to $150 (such as Vera’s VeraPlus controller). We finalized that $199-$249 is an appropriate MSRP for our product. If users would like to purchase a premium networking device, it is easier for them to use the similar price to buy a high speed ti-band router. We don’t think touch screen and smart home hub feature can attract this type of users. Also, we found out smart home hub has potential for users to willing to pay more based on its potential capability.
AC1900 routers are much cheaper than our smart home router
REDEFINE TARGET USER
Our target audience segments can be simply grouped into three main categories: Kasa customer, IoT Partners / Enthusiasts, and Premium home networking customer. The whole product and UX/UI team believe new or existed Kasa customers is our main target user group. Our big sales on smart plugs and smart bulbs let us win reputation to the market. If those users are looking for more unified smart home solution, this is a great time for us to convince them.
Then, we started to define what makes our smart home router valuable to users. This is important for us to tight with what we can provide and what our users expect from the device. Scott brought in great methodology by adopting Jobs-To-Be-Done strategy. I used this method and created some and made them become quantified statements.
Wi-Fi Router 2.0
Smart Home Hub
Cross Platform
Simplify the way
to setup my devices, configure settings, and troubleshoot any issues
Maximize the ability
to enable all my smart home devices to work together seamlessly
Reduce efforts
to understand the whole ecosystem
Minimize the time
to manage and control my devices
DESIGN HYBRID EXPERIENCE
In the beginning of the project, we had three paths for users to start installing their smart home router: Mobile app, LCD touch screen, and Web GUI. However, this flexibility killed us because it made the system more complicated but we don’t have enough development time to handle the issue. By reviewing some great networking devices, such as Google Onhub and Eero, we then decided to make the mobile app as the only onboarding way. Although there was a big dispute from high-level managers, we convinced them that this way can reduce time and risk to onboard users and have a better way to acquire their previous network settings without typing again if they are current Kasa users.
KEEP OUR JOURNEY
Based on our product vision, the smart home router allows our users to connect all of their current and future connected home devices to each other, with a single piece of hardware. This eliminates their needs for more hubs in their home, and more apps on their phones. However, integrating with other devices or platforms is merely our start point. We need to consider more features to satisfy our users based on their needs. The following are two undergoing features with potential use cases.
TAKEAWAYS
Persuade Stakholders
Selling ideas to stakeholders is a difficult venture, especially if they have totally different opinions. By showing the facts, this way can make thing easier to bring them on board.
Jobs-To-Be-Done
Thank Scott brought in Jobs-To-Be-Done concept, this method forces me to think of what users really need rather than barely design features and screens.