Smart Thermostat GUI.
Elevating home technology.
This project explored the design of a smart thermostat interface at ABB, balancing everyday consumer usability with the constraints of an embedded, segment-based display. The goal was to help users quickly understand environmental conditions and take appropriate action, while accounting for limited screen space, intermittent interaction, and varied real-world contexts of use.
I led UX/UI design refinements from the usability testing phase through implementation, working closely with product and engineering to translate user needs into a clear, approachable interface that supported both comfort and efficiency without unnecessary complexity.
Recognition: Focus Open Silver, 2019; iF Design Award Winner, 2018; Red Dot Design Award Winner, 2018; Good Design Award Winner, 2018
Challenge
Smart thermostat interfaces must provide actionable, rapid insight while also supporting user control over comfort and efficiency, all within limited screen real estate and diverse contexts of use.
How might we create an interface that feels instinctive and modern, offering meaningful control and feedback within tight technical constraints?
Process & Insights
Early conversations and observation revealed that users responded best to clear visual metaphors and simple workflows for temperature control. This led us to focus on reorganizing information around perceptual clarity and action relevance, communicating state, intent, and consequence at a glance without overwhelming users with secondary controls.
Influence & Achievements
Defined a visual and interaction hierarchy optimized for quick comprehension on limited hardware
Demonstrated how thoughtful prioritization can improve usability without increasing system complexity
Developed a combined user flow and UI specification tool to enhance product quality and communication
Evidence that shaped direction
I joined as early concepts were being A/B tested. Synthesizing the results helped align stakeholders on the user-preferred direction—favoring clear metaphors and simple workflows over added controls.
GUI technology challenge
While competitors were leveraging modern technology and full-color screens, we were challenged with creating the feeling of a modern, intuitive interface despite being constrained to simple segment display technology.
How can we elevate an "old-school" segment display to look and feel more modern?
How can we fit all of our functionality into a small and rigid real estate?
What technical tradeoffs need to be made?
An instinctual workflow
The interaction model was designed around gesture, timing, and feedback to reduce uncertainty during adjustment. Intentional delays and clear visual response allowed users to feel in control without requiring instruction, minimizing errors and supporting intuitive use across a wide range of users.
Specifying quality
I was responsible for packaging the experience and UI design into a shared system that could be used across teams, from marketing to engineering. This included mapping user flows, screen states, iconography, touch targets, and interaction details such as gesture behavior, spatial constraints, and timing.
This approach helped ensure design intent translated consistently through development and supported future feature expansion.
A smart, modern thermostat for any environment
The redesigned ABB Free@home interface helped users interpret affordances and act with confidence, reducing cognitive friction in core interactions. Clarity in state representation and prioritized options supported faster decision cycles and steadier user engagement with primary thermostat functions.
By embracing limitations rather than fighting them, the project elevated a traditionally “retro” segment display into something that felt contemporary, intuitive, and accessible across varied life stages and abilities.
While initially planned for commercial environments such as hotels, the friendly look and feel also proved well-suited for home use, opening an additional market opportunity.
Recognition
“Essentially, the device consists of nothing but an interface, the design of which is so crystal clear that even very young or elderly people intuitively know how to use it – thanks in no small part to the crisp icons and high contrast ratio of the capacitive display. The accompanying app is based on the same underlying idea of simplicity and directness.”
—Focus Open 2019 Jury Panel