Duration: 7 weeks (3.10.21-4.28.21)
Role: Design, research
Primary stakeholders: CEO, software developers, hardware engineers, customer support
Tools: Adobe XD, Illustrator
Numina is a startup that delivers real-time insights from streets in order to assist partners in making cities more responsive, walkable, bikeable, and equitable. This data is measured by sensors that attach to light poles and buildings, using computer vision to measure how people and objects move in streets and public spaces.
My job was to redesign the installation experience to streamline the way project managers and electricians would set up the sensors in public spaces.
Installation One-Pager
Installation App Sitemap
Installation App Flows
The existing installation resources consisted of a PDF guide and a mobile application to walk installers through the process. However, project managers and installers would often neglect reading the PDF guide, and the mobile application was out of date.
I conducted background research on other products that require basic installation such as Nest, Ring, WasteHero, and iAuditor to see how they were approaching this challenge, whether it was through a mobile application with images and videos, or a PDF guide with screenshots, diagrams, and written instructions.
Next, I held meetings with team members (CEO, software developers, hardware engineers, customer support) and partners in order to gain a deeper understanding of the product experience and pain points.
Then, I outlined the competencies, goals, motivations, and constraints for the three parties involved in the Numina installation process.
Next, I synthesized my research.
Below is the one-pager I created, to be distributed and read at the beginning of the installation process, before downloading the app.
Next, I focused on redesigning the installation mobile app.
Before I began wireframing the redesign, I outlined the needs and possible frustrations for the 2 users of the installation app.
For the wireframes, I adhered to Numina's existing branding for fonts and colors, with the exception of certain screens where I used colors that would be more easily legible in harsh lighting.
Below is the onboarding process, which includes graphics that provide an overview of the functions of the app. The user would then enter a login key specific to their project, and select whether they are an installer or project manager.
I used color schemes to distinguish between the two different user experiences. The screens for project managers are light with dark text, while the screens for installers are dark with light text in order to be battery-saving as well as more legible in outdoor conditions.
For both users, the home screen consists of a pre-installation checklist they must complete in order to access the other modules. For the installer this includes electrical setup and aiming the sensor, and for the project manager this includes approving the sensor view.
For the installer, the pre-installation checklist consists of allowing location and camera access, confirming an understanding of the constraints, and checklists of required items.
For the project manager, the pre-installation checklist consists of confirming an understanding of the constraints, as well as checklists of required items.
The electrical setup module for the installer contains instructions for wiring and checking voltage, complete with images.
The aim sensor module for the installer contains instructions on mounting the sensor, connecting it to broadcast the camera view to the app, and adjusting the view which can be seen in the app.
The app provides the installer and the project manager tips on aiming the sensor. The project manager can see the sensor view through the app, and they must approve it in order to complete the installation process.
Check out the interactive prototype here.
Thank you for reading!
Please feel free to reach out with questions at ashley.zhang@columbia.edu.
