2020-2022 · LEAD UX/UI DESIGNER
Boundary is a wireless smart home alarm system (B2C SaaS plus a box) that offers subscription plans with additional features such as a powerful mobile app for control and self-monitoring of the system, and immediate police response.
I joined Boundary as their founding Product Designer to lead the design of the core product - Boundary's mobile apps for iOS and Android. I collaborated with a remote team of product managers and growth marketers to develop a product strategy and address business challenges through design - for instance, increasing the number of Daily Active Users (DAU) and achieving other ambitious Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). My role included conducting comprehensive user research, identifying customer pain points, user testing functional prototypes, and continuous collaboration with developers to ensure a pixel-perfect implementation.
Our goal was to create an intuitive home security app that's easy to set up and use, so customers could monitor their homes at a glance and control the security system from anywhere.
Competitive Benchmarking
Customer Interviews
User Research
Ideation
Interaction Design
User Journey Mapping
Wireframing & Prototyping
User Testing
Usability Testing
Design Systems
Visual Design
Developer Hand-Off & Support
Figma
Figjam
Usertesting.com
HotJar
Jira
Confluence
iOS
Android
Web
The first step in the design process was to conduct user research to understand the needs and preferences of our target audience. We conducted competitor benchmarking, surveys, interviews, and focus groups with potential customers to gather insights into their pain points and goals when it comes to home security. Based on this research, we identified several key requirements for the app.
The app needed to be easy to navigate, with a clear and intuitive interface that would allow users to quickly access the features they need. It also needed to provide real-time updates and alerts, as well as the ability to customize and control various aspects of the security system, such as arming and disarming, adding or removing sensors, and setting up alerts.
The top of the app's Home screen features a tile that displays the current status of the security system, making it easy to understand whether the system is armed, part-armed, triggered, disarmed or offline. All monitored rooms in the house are listed directly underneath, allowing customers to see if there is any activity in the rooms or if a sensor in a particular room needs attention.
The app's tab bar provides a quick access to different sections of the app, including the Home screen and Settings, and the ability to quickly change the alarm mode of the system from anywhere within the app.
The app gives customers complete control over their security system with advanced user management features, such as the ability to invite others to their security system and set the desired level of access for each person.
Activity Alerts is a unique feature that allows customers to create personal alerts and get notified of any activity or inactivity detected in their home while the alarm system is disarmed. For example, the app could let you know if an elderly loved one is not following their normal routine and might need help. If someone is sleepwalking or not getting up in time for school.
We made use of the vast amounts of data gathered by contact and motion sensors in a controlled and secure way and translated this data into useful insights. The feature was released a couple of months after the initial launch of the app and helped us deliver even more value to Boundary's customers, significantly increasing the number of Daily Active Users (DAU).
We received positive but also constructive feedback after testing the initial app prototypes with potential customers. This round of user testing allowed us to gather valuable insights and make improvements to the design of the app before its launch. The positive response from the user testing gave us confidence in the app's design and set us up for success upon its release.
We continued to improve our initial NPS score with iterative feature releases and updates. The app was well-received by customers, earning a rating of 4.4 stars on the App Store and receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews on both the Google Play Store and App Store. In summary, the design of the Boundary mobile app was effective in providing an easy-to-use experience for our customers, contributing to the growth of the business.
In early 2022, I led the redesign of the company's main web sales channel. The goal was to create a responsive and easy-to-follow user journey that reduced user bounce rate and improved the sales conversion rate.
Problem
During a preliminary user testing of Boundary's pre-existing e-commerce solution, we identified significant issues with the order and amount of information delivered to prospective customers. Moreover, people often struggled to understand industry-specific terminology and found it difficult to configure an alarm system bundle that met their needs. As a result, they often felt overwhelmed and ended up abandoning the purchase process altogether.
Solution
Once we had identified the problem, I went back to the drawing board and utilised an iterative design approach to design a new solution. I conducted multiple user testing sessions and gradually refined my ideas based on participants' feedback and insights drawn from observing peoples’ behaviour while interacting with the prototype.
The final result is a step-by-step flow, utilising progressive disclosure of information that focuses customer’s attention on the most important details first. All while providing supplementary contextual information that is easily accessible when needed within the journey.
Result
After the initial launch of the new purchase experience, I gathered analytics data to measure the impact of the redesign and to further fine-tune the customer journey. Compared to the old journey, pre-sales questions sent to our customer experience team dropped by 57%, the conversion rate increased by 33%, the average order value increased by more than 25% and more people opted-in for a paid monthly subscription.
Another crucial task was to redesign Boundary's homepage and ensure that prospective customers had access to enough information to make an informed decision when comparing the product to competitors.
The above-the-fold area instantly communicates the nature of the product and its credibility. The core navigation is consistently featured in the header, making an effective logical combination of links and dropdowns, inviting visitors to learn more about the alarm system and enter the purchase funnel. The content on the page is concise and informative, utilising a solid typographic hierarchy that makes the web page scannable and allows potential customers quickly understand the value and benefits of the Boundary alarm system.
Get in touch if you'd like to learn more about my work or discuss how I could help your business.