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Smart Mirror

Effortless Mornings: Smart Choices at a Glance

Introduction to the Project

PROJECT SUMMARY

The concept of the Smart Mirror with augmented reality functionality was developed during the “Interaction Design” course at Ludwig Maximilian University, Media Informatics/Human-Computer Interaction. Inspired by the Internet of Things, the project explored the potential integration of physical devices with software, sensors, and network connectivity.

The Smart Mirror is envisioned as a smart home device to be built into a wardrobe, aimed at helping busy individuals choose an appropriate outfit quickly in the morning. The concept includes an augmented reality app that would suggest daily outfits based on the user's calendar, weather app, and previous preferences.

Project timeframe: 05.2017 - 07.2017

DESIGN BRIEF

"Given a two month project deadline, what process would you use to approach this design problem? Break this process down into a schedule with an overview of activities for each phase.

Who do you need for your team? Who do you need for your team? How many man-days?"

PROBLEM

Busy individuals often struggle to choose appropriate outfits quickly in the morning, especially when considering weather conditions and their daily schedules.

SOLUTION

​Develop a Smart Mirror concept that integrates an augmented reality app to suggest daily outfits based on the user's calendar, weather app, and previous preferences, helping users make quick and informed clothing choices.

MY TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Together with other students from my team, my role involved conducting research, conceptualizing the design, creating interface prototypes, and testing all UI aspects related to the project concept.

CHALLENGE

The challenge of the project was to define a design process and an approach to a design problem solution as well as to create a prototype of  the Smart MIrror within a short timeframe of two months. 

 

TOOLS

  • Balsamiq, Justinmind

Workflow

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Sketching the First Ideas

After conducting thorough user research, benchmarking, and market research, we gained valuable insights into the needs and preferences of our target audience. These findings laid the foundation for our design process. Armed with this information, we began sketching the first ideas for the Smart Mirror, focusing on creating a user-friendly interface that seamlessly integrates into the daily routines of busy individuals.

Low-Fidelity Prototype

High-Fidelity Prototype (some samples)

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Testing & Heuristic Evaluation

As part of the project, we conducted extensive testing and evaluation using Nielsen's heuristics to ensure a user-friendly and efficient design. The heuristics checklist guided our assessment, allowing us to identify and address potential usability issues. Below is an overview of our heuristic evaluation process and findings.

HEURISTICS CHECKLIST:

  1. 1. Visibility of system status

  2. Match between system and the real world

  3. User control and freedom

  4. Consistency and standards

  5. Error prevention

  6. Recognition rather than recall

  7. Flexibility and efficiency of use

  8. Aesthetic and minimalist design

  9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors

  10. Help and documentation

HEURISTIC EVALUATION FINDINGS:

General:

  • Camera Position: Consider the position of the camera according to the user's height.

  • Interaction Area: Position all interactions in the upper part of the mirror.

  • Help Button: Add a "help" button throughout the interface.

  • Home Button: Ensure a visible and accessible home button.

Standby:

  • Additional Features: Consider adding features like "video call."

Cloth App:

  • Button Placement: Buttons should be positioned above the interactive area.

  • Interface Redesign: Redesign buttons and slides for better usability.

  • Tasks in Coverflow: Add tasks like "add new cloth," "color," etc., to the coverflow.

Add New Cloth:

  • Picture Clarity: Improve the clarity of pictures.

  • Navigation: Each site should have a back-to-“Home” option.

  • Button Placement: Swap the “accept” and “cancel” buttons for intuitive use.

Suggestions:

  • Data Protection: Evaluate the necessity of features like “video call” (considering data protection).

  • Outfit Selection: Improve the clarity of how to choose an outfit.

Create New Outfit:

  • Interaction Design: Add a Drag & Drop button.

  • Content Display: Show fewer clothes to avoid overwhelming the user.

  • Editing Options: Show how to delete or move clothes.

Color:

  • Visibility Issues: Ensure the reflection of the user is visible when using the color feature.

Categories:

  • Simplify Adding Categories: One “plus” (“add category”) should suffice.

CONCLUSION

Our heuristic evaluation revealed several areas for improvement, which guided our redesign process to enhance the overall user experience. By applying Nielsen's heuristics, we ensured the Smart Mirror concept met high standards of usability and efficiency.

Final Reflections and Future Prospects

Through our user research, benchmarking, and market analysis, we gained invaluable insights into the desires and pain points of our target audience. These findings informed the initial sketches and design concepts of the Smart Mirror, ensuring that our solution was both user-friendly and seamlessly integrated into the daily lives of busy individuals.

LEARNINGS:

  • User-Centric Design: The importance of understanding user needs and incorporating their feedback into the design process cannot be overstated. Our user research highlighted specific features, such as outfit suggestions based on weather and calendar events, that were highly desired.

  • Iterative Prototyping: While we focused on creating low and high-fidelity prototypes, we learned that iterative design and continuous testing are crucial for refining the user experience.

  • Heuristic Evaluation: Utilizing Nielsen's heuristics was instrumental in identifying usability issues early on and guided our design improvements.

CHALLENGES:

  • Time Constraints: Due to tight deadlines, we were unable to build a physical prototype of the Smart Mirror. However, our detailed designs and prototypes provide a solid foundation for future development.

  • Technical Feasibility: Ensuring that our conceptual designs could be practically implemented with current technology was a consistent focus, but some features will require further technological advancements.

PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE:

  • Physical Prototype Development: Moving forward, the next step would be to build and test a physical prototype, incorporating all the features and functionalities envisioned in our design.

  • Advanced AI Integration: Future iterations could leverage more advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to provide even more personalized and accurate outfit suggestions.

  • Expanded Features: Potential enhancements include integrating voice control, fitness tracking, and further personalization options to cater to individual user preferences.

CONCLUSION

While we couldn't build the physical prototype due to deadlines, the Smart Mirror project has laid a strong groundwork for future development. Our research and design efforts have highlighted the immense potential of integrating smart technologies into everyday life, paving the way for more innovative solutions in the smart home space.

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