Product & Experience Design for SaaS Start Up

Product & Experience Design for SaaS Start Up

Client
AOS
Role
Product Designer
Industry
Professional Services
Year
2019

AOS Empowers Users and Fights Poverty With a Clever Multi-Sided Marketplace Experience

Client

Act of Service (AOS) is a Christian SaaS startup that donates a portion of its income to charitable organizations fighting poverty. AOS aims to offer products and online services that help users generate income and develop new skills, resources, and experience. AOS must create a minimum viable product to support its goals for itself and its users.

Problem

As poverty grows worldwide, AOS aims to solve this problem by developing a product that reduces poverty and income inequality while enabling financial freedom.

User & Audience

AOS focuses on attracting working-age individuals and families trying to create financial freedom or have incomes near the U.S. poverty line. To better understand and address their needs, user personas were developed, helping to tailor the product to AOS's target audience.

Scope & Constraints

The project aimed to develop and showcase a mobile app that facilitates AOS users in increasing their financial freedom thus reducing poverty. AOS's vision to accommodate all employment environments added a requirement for a physical product to be integrated with the digital solution.

Role & Responsibilities

As the only designer on the project, I was responsible for every aspect of the design process. Alongside collaborating with the stakeholders to form the product, my responsibilities included conducting research, iterative ideation, creating wireframes and sketches, and developing prototypes.

To Prioritize People AOS Embraces Social Enterprise Thinking to Create Humane Solutions

Social enterprise thinking prioritizes people and the planet over shareholder gain, operating through a human-centered design approach and design thinking process. Social enterprises span every industry and can be funded by various means, provided they generate revenue while creating a positive impact. AOS's project goal is intrinsically human-focused with a substantial social component, which led to the use of social enterprise thinking in developing a solution for AOS

Decision Exercise
Employed a decision matrix to select the best Solution

To determine the best solution for effectively meeting users' needs, a decision-making exercise was conducted. A decision matrix with weighted criteria was created to evaluate and score potential solutions, leading to the selection of the optimal solution.

Criteria & Weight
Scores & Results
Final Solution

The decision matrix started by identifying and listing relevant criteria based on the problem statement. These criteria were rated for their importance, helping to pinpoint the top five criteria to include in the matrix. Each criterion was assigned a weight on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 indicating the highest relevance.

Solutions were assessed against each criterion in the matrix and scored on a scale of 1 to 5. The scores were multiplied by the corresponding weights, and the total score for each solution was calculated by summing these weighted scores.

The selected solution is a mobile application featuring a multi-sided marketplace for servicers, families, and owners. This app facilitates resource exchange, service requests, and scheduling flexibility to improve work-life balance. It includes corporate benefits to incentivize user effort, a fundraising mechanism for a living standard fund as a safety net, and a smart lock system for secure access.

Criteria & Weight
Scores & Results
Final Solution

The decision matrix started by identifying and listing relevant criteria based on the problem statement. These criteria were rated for their importance, helping to pinpoint the top five criteria to include in the matrix. Each criterion was assigned a weight on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 indicating the highest relevance.

Solutions were assessed against each criterion in the matrix and scored on a scale of 1 to 5. The scores were multiplied by the corresponding weights, and the total score for each solution was calculated by summing these weighted scores.

The selected solution is a mobile application featuring a multi-sided marketplace for servicers, families, and owners. This app facilitates resource exchange, service requests, and scheduling flexibility to improve work-life balance. It includes corporate benefits to incentivize user effort, a fundraising mechanism for a living standard fund as a safety net, and a smart lock system for secure access.

Product Research
Fuels the Investigation of Smart Locks for the Final Solution

The product research aimed to investigate popular smart locks to identify the operational requirements for AOS's final solution. This research was essential to understand the market's existing offerings, functional requirements of the solution, and to design a competitive product.

Summary

The product research focused on comparing security companies and their offerings. To align with AOS’s goals and minimize manufacturing costs, it was determined that partnering with established home security brands like Brinks, ADT, or Vivint would be ideal for providing users with indoor and outdoor security camera solutions. This decision prompted further research, which identified a gap in the market for smart locks that could integrate with existing security systems. This presented an opportunity for AOS to design a lock compatible with these systems, allowing users to lock, disarm, unlock, and arm their security systems seamlessly. These insights inspired the exploration of features necessary for developing the smart lock component of the solution.

Summary

The product research focused on comparing security companies and their offerings. To align with AOS’s goals and minimize manufacturing costs, it was determined that partnering with established home security brands like Brinks, ADT, or Vivint would be ideal for providing users with indoor and outdoor security camera solutions. This decision prompted further research, which identified a gap in the market for smart locks that could integrate with existing security systems. This presented an opportunity for AOS to design a lock compatible with these systems, allowing users to lock, disarm, unlock, and arm their security systems seamlessly. These insights inspired the exploration of features necessary for developing the smart lock component of the solution.

Smart Locks

August lock

‍
The August Lock is a small, round lock that connects to a Wi-Fi bridge, which plugs into an electrical outlet. The app allows users to open and close the door, view a log of door activity (including who and when), and utilize an auto-lock and unlock feature based on the proximity of the user's phone.

Yale

‍
Similar to other locks, Yale's app provides a history log of door activity and features automatic lock and unlock functionality based on the user's proximity.

Yale

Schlage Touch Camelot Lock with Flair Lever

‍

This lock is unique for its keypad operation, which is located above the door handle. It is one of the few locks that is integrated with a door handle.

Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt with Camelot Trim

‍

This smart lock is keypad-controlled and can connect to Alexa with a Wi-Fi adapter, allowing voice control and remote access.

ADT

Brinks

Smart Locks

August lock

‍
The August Lock is a small, round lock that connects to a Wi-Fi bridge, which plugs into an electrical outlet. The app allows users to open and close the door, view a log of door activity (including who and when), and utilize an auto-lock and unlock feature based on the proximity of the user's phone.

Yale

‍
Similar to other locks, Yale's app provides a history log of door activity and features automatic lock and unlock functionality based on the user's proximity.

Yale

Schlage Touch Camelot Lock with Flair Lever

‍

This lock is unique for its keypad operation, which is located above the door handle. It is one of the few locks that is integrated with a door handle.

Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt with Camelot Trim

‍

This smart lock is keypad-controlled and can connect to Alexa with a Wi-Fi adapter, allowing voice control and remote access.

ADT

Brinks

Smart Locks

August lock

‍
The August Lock is a small, round lock that connects to a Wi-Fi bridge, which plugs into an electrical outlet. The app allows users to open and close the door, view a log of door activity (including who and when), and utilize an auto-lock and unlock feature based on the proximity of the user's phone.

Yale

‍
Similar to other locks, Yale's app provides a history log of door activity and features automatic lock and unlock functionality based on the user's proximity.

Yale

Schlage Touch Camelot Lock with Flair Lever

‍

This lock is unique for its keypad operation, which is located above the door handle. It is one of the few locks that is integrated with a door handle.

Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt with Camelot Trim

‍

This smart lock is keypad-controlled and can connect to Alexa with a Wi-Fi adapter, allowing voice control and remote access.

ADT

Brinks

Smart Locks

August lock

‍
The August Lock is a small, round lock that connects to a Wi-Fi bridge, which plugs into an electrical outlet. The app allows users to open and close the door, view a log of door activity (including who and when), and utilize an auto-lock and unlock feature based on the proximity of the user's phone.

Yale

‍
Similar to other locks, Yale's app provides a history log of door activity and features automatic lock and unlock functionality based on the user's proximity.

Yale

Schlage Touch Camelot Lock with Flair Lever

‍

This lock is unique for its keypad operation, which is located above the door handle. It is one of the few locks that is integrated with a door handle.

Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt with Camelot Trim

‍

This smart lock is keypad-controlled and can connect to Alexa with a Wi-Fi adapter, allowing voice control and remote access.

ADT

Brinks

Smart Locks

August lock

‍
The August Lock is a small, round lock that connects to a Wi-Fi bridge, which plugs into an electrical outlet. The app allows users to open and close the door, view a log of door activity (including who and when), and utilize an auto-lock and unlock feature based on the proximity of the user's phone.

Yale

‍
Similar to other locks, Yale's app provides a history log of door activity and features automatic lock and unlock functionality based on the user's proximity.

Yale

Schlage Touch Camelot Lock with Flair Lever

‍

This lock is unique for its keypad operation, which is located above the door handle. It is one of the few locks that is integrated with a door handle.

Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt with Camelot Trim

‍

This smart lock is keypad-controlled and can connect to Alexa with a Wi-Fi adapter, allowing voice control and remote access.

ADT

Brinks

Smart Locks

August lock

‍
The August Lock is a small, round lock that connects to a Wi-Fi bridge, which plugs into an electrical outlet. The app allows users to open and close the door, view a log of door activity (including who and when), and utilize an auto-lock and unlock feature based on the proximity of the user's phone.

Yale

‍
Similar to other locks, Yale's app provides a history log of door activity and features automatic lock and unlock functionality based on the user's proximity.

Yale

Schlage Touch Camelot Lock with Flair Lever

‍

This lock is unique for its keypad operation, which is located above the door handle. It is one of the few locks that is integrated with a door handle.

Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt with Camelot Trim

‍

This smart lock is keypad-controlled and can connect to Alexa with a Wi-Fi adapter, allowing voice control and remote access.

ADT

Brinks

Smart Locks

August lock

‍
The August Lock is a small, round lock that connects to a Wi-Fi bridge, which plugs into an electrical outlet. The app allows users to open and close the door, view a log of door activity (including who and when), and utilize an auto-lock and unlock feature based on the proximity of the user's phone.

Yale

‍
Similar to other locks, Yale's app provides a history log of door activity and features automatic lock and unlock functionality based on the user's proximity.

Yale

Schlage Touch Camelot Lock with Flair Lever

‍

This lock is unique for its keypad operation, which is located above the door handle. It is one of the few locks that is integrated with a door handle.

Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt with Camelot Trim

‍

This smart lock is keypad-controlled and can connect to Alexa with a Wi-Fi adapter, allowing voice control and remote access.

ADT

Brinks

Lock Ideation
Encourages Smart Lock Form Exploration and Leads to Defining a Design

Hand sketching was utilized to explore and visualize the form of the smart lock, with the ideation process spanning three rounds of sketching to finalize the lock's design.

Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Final Form

The initial sketches focused on the side and front views of potential forms that could replace both the lock and handle. A perspective view was created for the form that best represented AOS's brand.

The ideation process continued with sketches of side and front views for forms featuring a wireless entry knob, again exploring options for both lock and handle replacement.

After reviewing the previous sketches, the idea to design the lock for interior use, focusing solely on replacing the deadbolt led to New sketches that were created for a completely wireless, user-friendly, and easy-to-install lock. This design required a Wi-Fi connector, which was ideated alongside the lock.

Upon reviewing the third round of ideas, a design featuring both a lock and a Wi-Fi connector was chosen. This design would reduce manufacturing costs, add simplicity to the brand's aesthetic, and be more user-friendly.

Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Final Form

The initial sketches focused on the side and front views of potential forms that could replace both the lock and handle. A perspective view was created for the form that best represented AOS's brand.

The ideation process continued with sketches of side and front views for forms featuring a wireless entry knob, again exploring options for both lock and handle replacement.

After reviewing the previous sketches, the idea to design the lock for interior use, focusing solely on replacing the deadbolt led to New sketches that were created for a completely wireless, user-friendly, and easy-to-install lock. This design required a Wi-Fi connector, which was ideated alongside the lock.

Upon reviewing the third round of ideas, a design featuring both a lock and a Wi-Fi connector was chosen. This design would reduce manufacturing costs, add simplicity to the brand's aesthetic, and be more user-friendly.

Solution Satisfies Stakeholders with the help of the Mobile App and Lock Prototype

The project concluded successfully, with stakeholders expressing strong approval of the mobile app and lock prototype. They believed the lock could be effectively produced to facilitate in-home user access. While some were concerned about the lock's practicality for commercial use, stakeholders felt it would suffice for small businesses.

Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3

This experience underscored the importance of considering both company maturity and priorities during product development. For AOS, which is still in its startup phase, prioritizing robust security measures was a critical decision. Establishing trust with users is vital for new companies like AOS.

This project highlighted the significance of assessing risks and creating effective solutions to mitigate them. While a less security-focused approach could have been taken for the minimum viable product (MVP), doing so would have heightened the risk of harming the brand's reputation.

Thanks for exploring my work!

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