Best-Selling home security camera in China

The 360 home security camera is an IoT product with a camera and a mobile app. It allows users to monitor their home, especially for children, pets, and the elderly. The app offers visual and audio feeds, enabling users to observe and listen to their surroundings.

Background

Launched in the 2010s, the 360 home security camera has captured a significant market share and boasts a range of distinct versions.

This IoT (Internet of Things) -based Home Security Camera includes components like the physical camera and mobile app, with interactions between them.

Problem Statement

Based on customer service data, 'connecting the device to WiFi' emerged as the main user-reported issue in Q1 of 2023.

Despite being an initial setup step, users encountered difficulties while trying to establish the WiFi connection. These difficulties can originate from both the app-end (software) and device-end (hardware).

My Role

Unlike typical UXRs who receive needs from the product team, we take the initiative to identify needs ourselves. We often spot them in abnormal user service data. This approach arises from our UX team's placement within the management department, responsible for customer service. To effectively address persistent customer issues, we identify needs, kickstart research, and collaborate with tech, product, and design teams to devise solutions.

As a User Experience Researcher (UXR), my role also involves translating and analyzing users' needs and experiences. I also strive to provide insights that help bridge the gap in user understanding between the tech team and the design team.

Goal Setting and Alignment

Identify the issues we intend to tackle and outline the project's objectives. Align these goals with the tech and design teams and achieve consensus.

Usability Test

Understand the user journey and identify pain points during the Wi-Fi connection process.

Competitor Analysis

Learn from competitors' approaches to Wi-Fi connection, identify their strengths and weakness (our opportunites).

Focus Group

Test user perceptions of our solutions and gather their ideas for addressing the problem.

Insights and Action Recommendations

Insights from usability tests, and refined solutions based on user feedback, competitor research, and focus group discussions.

Research Objectives

Pain points and Opportunities

- Find out pain points through the user jouney
- Rank needs by necessity and severity
- Figure out opportunities

Solutions

- Find solutions
- Validate solutions through competitor and user research

Usability Test

Since we are uncertain about the specific issues our product might have and which aspects of our device or app could be misleading or unhelpful, we have decided to carry out a usability test. This test aims to gain insight into user journeys, behaviors, and to identify any problems they encounter.

Sample were recruited from company employees through email invitations, aiming to include a diverse mix of users with different technology backgrounds and camera usage experiences, including both new and experienced users. Demographic proportions were also aligned with our target user population to mitigate bias.

Satisfaction Score across User Journey

Throughout the user journey, participants were asked to rate each step on a satisfaction scale from 1 to 5. The chart indicates lower scores in red and higher scores in purple.

Pain Points

We further elaborated on pain points associated with each step, highlighting how these challenges impacted user experiences.

Competitor Analysis

Having identified the problems, our next step is to determine effective solutions. We'll also assess whether competitors offer superior alternatives. We'll examine common features that enhance user experiences that our product might lack. Furthermore, we'll explore unmet needs that none of our competitors address, presenting opportunities for improvement.

Across User Journey

Explored user interactions at 6 stages of the home security camera experience, mapping out the pain points for each step across the journey.

Elaborate Pain Points

Identified specific challenges users encountered during different phases, highlighting areas of frustration and misunderstandings.

Compare with Competitors

Assessed competitors' offerings to extract insights about UI interface and User Flow, capitalizing on their strengths and addressing their weaknesses.

Focus Group

While we did identify a few effective solutions from competitors, they remain relatively scarce. Our internal brainstorming has led to several plans, but we're uncertain about users' perceptions of them. We're keen to gather more ideas from users' viewpoints, aiming to gain insights and perspectives that could further enhance our solutions.

Sample

Participants were selected from previous usability test participants who expressed interest in continuing. To ensure unbiased discussions, new users and experienced users were separated into distinct focus groups, minimizing potential for leading opinions or suppression.

Overview

45 minutes to 1 hour
3-5 participant per group
Each of the 6 stages was covered, allowing participants to share their experiences, challenges, and ideas for improvements.

Records and Analysis

Two recorders were present, using a standardized recording form to capture discussions. Collected forms were later examined for in-depth analysis and further discussion.

Success Metrics

The metric system is highly comprehensive, as it encompasses data from three distinct sources. The complaint-to-sales ratio, success/task failure rate, and user satisfaction score are derived from sales data, device performance data, and user testing results, respectively.

Ratio of Complaints to Sales

Failure and Success Rate for Each Step of the Wi-Fi Connection Process

User Satisfaction Score

Challenges & Learnings

The team structure and product development process were highly dynamic in this real-life IoT project. My experiences as a UXR have been enriched through flexible cross-team collaboration and finding adaptable solutions for the complex multi-end product.

Multi-end IOT product

The IoT-based Home Security Camera includes components like the physical camera and mobile app, with interactions between them. Challenges arise from various sources, requiring us to identify and prioritize cost-effective solutions to address significant issues.

Absence of a product team

During this project, the PM team was preoccupied with launching new products, leaving little time for leading updates and improving user experiences. The PM team's commitment was limited, prompting us to collaborate directly with the tech and design teams to address this challenge.