by Exosite, on August 23, 2016
The Internet of Things is about easing people’s lives through connectivity and efficiency, which empowers people by linking them to data through an IoT solution. Enabling access to this data or improving efficiency can be hindered by one key element, the user experience (UX). Whether it is a large-scale connected product fleets or an individual consumer product, the ability for end-customers to easily learn, interact, and adapt product features into their lives can make or break the sales of a connected product.
As a leading consumer and industrial IoT platform provider, Exosite has successfully helped our customers deploy a variety of connected solutions. As described in the previous blog segment of our Solving the IoT Puzzle: Build or Buy? white paper, after defining your personas and their use cases you’ll know what data is valuable, as well as how to collect and analyze it in order to really capitalize on the new value stream from your connected product. It’s then time to focus on how your end users will see and interact with the data.
- Adoption: Your knowledge of and execution on user experience or interactive design can make or break the adoptability of your product. Users often choose solutions that are easy to understand and provide high perceived value in the context in which they use it. In order to succeed in this area, you must give it the respect it deserves.
- Research & Validation: Knowing your users is no small task. Assumptions you make about what they want to see, when they want to see it, and how it’s displayed need to be verified. This means reaching out to users, listening, and integrating feedback into an interactive design that serves your users.
- Usability: A solid IoT solution removes confusion, reduces tasks, and minimizes mistakes for your end user. If your product is too complex or has a steep learning curve, the target of your IoT application will be largely missed, and users will quickly abandon it for their old, manual, and reliable alternatives. Understand where your users have problems or experience points of confusion, and find ways to provide clarity and simplicity.
For a complete description of how to ensure a successful IoT solution through user experience, download the full white paper below or contact us and speak with one of our IoT experts directly. 