WeMo smart home accessories and app

2013 IDEA Finalist, 2013 Silver UX Award

Wemo is a family of intelligent products for the home that allow you to control and see the status of switches, lights, and other devices, via your phone, from anywhere. We started with a plug-in switch module and a motion sensor, then quickly expanded to a power-measuring switch (Wemo Insight), a light switch, various LED lighting products, a heater, humidifier, and slow-cooker, and recently a dimmer. A smaller version of the original switch module, dubbed Wemo Mini, launched at the beginning of 2017.

WeMo app main device list screen with all connected devices — Main device list screen displaying all connected WeMo devices with their current on/off status and quick controls.

WeMo app device list screen showing all connected WeMo devices — Main WeMo app interface showing device status and controls, redesigned for iOS 7 with a cleaner, flatter aesthetic.

WeMo app I Want feature screen for natural language device control — The “I Want” feature allowing users to control devices using natural language commands like “turn on the lights” or “make it warmer.”

WeMo app I Want feature expanded view with more options — Expanded view of the I Want feature showing time and sunrise/set settings.

WeMo app lamp rule creation screen — Creating an automation rule for a lamp, such as scheduling it to turn on at sunset or when motion is detected.

WeMo app more options menu — Additional options menu providing access to settings, device management, and advanced features.

WeMo app single-device detail showing power consumption statistics — Single-device detail, showing power consumption statistics.

WeMo app updated interface from 2017 — The initial physical device offering included a switch module with power sensing and a motion detector.

WeMo app rules management screen showing all automation rules — Rules management screen displaying all active automation rules, allowing users to view, edit, or delete scheduled behaviors.

WeMo app device setup screen — Device setup and onboarding flow guiding users through connecting new WeMo devices to their home network.

My role: Made formative experience sketches for the product line that continue to govern the way the system operates, for better or worse. Formed the UX team with select members of my design staff and lead them into designing in a semi-Agile process in order to better integrate with the rapidly-forming software and cloud teams. Groomed one of their number to be the eventual UX manager for Wemo as a reorganization approached so I could turn my attention to rescuing the design and interactive components of the Linksys division.

Lessons learned: You must be clear what the core of your product is, lest you dilute your message in your eagerness to expand the product line. Inappropriate product partners make for messy divorces and disappointed children/employees. People notice if you fail to refresh visually, even as functionality continues to expand.