Unis: A preventive home security system

Three questions for the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
A key UX challenge was distinguishing the home safety device from typical mobile screens, particularly for families with children. It was crucial to design visuals and sounds that clearly communicated the type and severity of alerts. Using Wizard of Oz testing, the design's accessibility was validated and a LED matrix display was chosen over a touchscreen. Further testing with children helped refine the visuals and identify the most intuitive audio alerts for various dangers, such as heat, water, or open entrances. Additionally, the potential for alarm fatigue was addressed by designing sounds that act as vigilant reminders rather than causing unnecessary stress.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
Our personal highlight occurred during the Wizard of Oz testing phase when users unexpectedly carried the mobile device mockups towards hazard locations. This led to a crucial redesign, making the device portable to better engage users, especially children. This design shift greatly improved recall and attention span among young users. A challenging low point was addressing privacy concerns. We needed to ensure the device remained non-intrusive in users' daily lives. Our solution was to activate the device only when someone was about to leave home for a comprehensive safety sweep, keeping it passive at other times. Balancing functionality with privacy protection proved both challenging and rewarding.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
In the next five years, we see Unis becoming a cornerstone in the growing home safety and smart home technology market. Market projections indicate a significant value increase of home security devices by 2030, positioning Unis as a future-proof solution. Our focus on families with young children and safety-conscious individuals, including accommodations for neuro-divergent users, underscores our commitment to enhancing daily life and ensuring peace of mind. As technology evolves, the need for intuitive safety measures around common non-connected household items such as candles, toasters, and open windows remains crucial. We envision Unis not just as a product, but as a standard for inclusive and user-friendly home safety.