Overview

aeris is the first provider of complete indoor air quality treatment systems and offers a unique line of air purifiers capable of dealing with any kind of air pollution at home or at work.
The company was founded in 2014 in China and eventually expanded to Zurich and the United States. Its first app was launched in 2015.
This case study and project started in July 2021 until the end of November 2021, when it was acquired by iRobot.
Old aeris app
New Aeris app

Challenge

  • I was new to Aeris and as the designer in charge of the app, I had to learn the ropes on how the latest versions of the app worked.
  • Aeris introduced me to all the purifier products they had so I could learn how to onboard each one, as each purifier did it differently.
  • All new to me.
  • When I joined, the decision was made amongst the small team that we were to work on an Design Thinking Process framework.
  • Redesign the entire app (Management did NOT want to keep the current style and structure).
  • We had regular meetings every week to see how things were progressing and to see possible problems and solutions.
  • Lack of information about the user and his use of the product and the application. It is almost non-existent.

Project Timeline

We created a timeline to mark the maximum time we were going to be working on each part to meet the deadline stipulated by the CEO.

Problem Statement
& Goals

Problem

  • CJM (Customer Journey Map) capability not allowed to be developed.
  • No user-centric approach, an app made by and for engineers.
  • Confusing navigation in the app.
  • Problems pairing the mobile phone and the product with Wi-Fi.
  • Hidden or difficult-to-access functions.
  • Lack of key functionalities for a purification app (AQI learning and information, real-time notifications, differentiation of existing schedules, purchase of accessories or CTA to the web to buy them, etc).
  • No direct access to technical support.
  • Description of programmes not available.
  • It is not possible to identify the programme of each purifier.

Goals

  • Our goal is to create an inclusive and responsive app design to ensure a fast loading and smooth experience.
  • Create a simple but effective user interface solution within the purifier app.
  • We improve the conversion rate of the app with logical structures, comfortable menus and learning pages and much mzore.
  • Include new services such as notifications that inform about the state of air quality and act in time with unhealthy cases.
Photoshop of Aeris purifier with a dog

Understanding
the User

Before starting the design process, I needed more information. My main goal was to find out some of the different ways users learn, how and why they use the app and the challenges they might face. I decided it was best to conduct secondary research due to a lack of time and information.

Response of Qualitative & Quantitative Research

User research focuses on understanding user behaviours, needs and motivations through observation techniques, task analysis and other feedback methodologies.

I have followed two research methods: a qualitative and quantitative analysis. In the qualitative analysis, I analysed the difficulties faced by users when creating an account, adding a purifier to their account, creating a programme, etc. In the quantitative analysis, I conducted a survey of 20 people.
Old aeris app
Old Aeris app
Old aeris app
Old Aeris app
Old aeris app
Old Aeris app
Old aeris app
Old Aeris app

Research

  • Aeris was acquired by iRobot and we had to accelerate the whole process from the end of September if we wanted to support current users.
  • We were no longer able to do usability testing with users due to the shortened release timeframe of the project.
PROCESS

Result

  • By convincing the vice president of Aeris, we were able to buy some time to do a little testing before launching the application.
  • I was asked to lead the testing efforts due to a lack of resources and support.
  • We were successful in the overall rollout and proved that, although we were a very small team, we managed to move quickly to Alpha and Beta.

Design Personas

To complete the project, we tried to get some surveys from users about their current experience. Their characteristics and the main insights we got are based on the results of the survey.
Paco Smith
Married, 3 children
Teacher, 35 y.o
Nueva York, US
Needs and Goals
  • I need a program that allows me to turn it on or off when my students are in or out of class.
  • I need quick set-up of the purifier.
Pain Points
  • It is not easy to find the name of the purifier in onboarding.
  • I cannot create a custom program.No possible to change the language.
  • The filter status can’t be checked.
  • 2 devices and 3 programs, but I can't figure out which one goes with which device.
Alexandra Oliveri
Single, 2 dogs
Student, 18 y.o
Roma, Italy
Needs and Goals
  • I need a way to know when there is more pollen.
  • I need speed when the screens are changed.
Pain Points
  • No analysis of when pollution is worst at night.
  • Unclear menu.
  • Dealing with customer support service.
  • Sometimes it’s not possible to change between modes.
Jackson Wang
Divorced, 1 dog, 1 cat and plants.
Retired, 74 y.o
Beijing, China
Needs and Goals
  • I need to know what my AQI is.
  • I need a place to buy a replacement filter.
Pain Points
  • I don't know the difference between the AQI inside my house and outside.
  • What is the difference between sleep mode and sleep schedule?
  • The light with sleep mode bothers me when I am napping

User Flow

User flow takes you from the point of entry through a set of steps to a successful outcome and final action.
UserFlow - Aeris project

Sketches & Wireframe

More than 30 screens were created using sketches and, subsequently, wireframes to represent the application templates, the flow between screens and their functionalities.
Sketches and Wireframe - Aeris project

Solution

  • The home screen was created with more information so the user could see an overview of all his purifiers.
  • We grouped all tasks and events related to each air purifier so the user could manage it quickly and easily.
  • Outdoor and indoor AQI differentiated visually by using different colours and elements, avoiding confusion.
  • Organising the information in a helpful way for the user in 3 categories: Outdoor map, products, and general settings.

Guideline

Guideline - Aeris project

Visual Design

App screens - Aeris project
air purifier with a person
Aeris app
Aeris app screen
air purifier with a person
Aeris app screen - Aeris project

Final Thoughts

After all the steps and studies carried out in this project I can affirm that haste is not good and that there are still points that need to be worked on and perfected.
From my point of view, the Home screen has too many features that could be summarized or distributed in another way to help and not confuse the user and perhaps, the Analytics screen could be taken even more advantage of.
We will continue to work on this in the next updates.

Design Personas

To complete the project, we tried to get some surveys from users about their current experience. Their characteristics and the main insights we got are based on the results of the survey.
Paco Smith
Married, 3 children
Teacher, 35 y.o
Nueva York, US
Needs and Goals
- I need a program that allows me to turn it on or off when my students are in or out of class.
- I need quick set-up of the purifier.
Pain Points
- It is not easy to find the name of the purifier in onboarding.
- I cannot create a custom program.No possible to change the language.
The filter status can’t be checked.
- 2 devices and 3 programs, but I can't figure out which one goes with which device.
Alexandra Oliveri
Single, 2 dogs
Student, 18 y.o
Roma, Italy
Needs and Goals
- I need a way to know when there is more pollen.
- I need speed when the screens are changed.
Pain Points
- No analysis of when pollution is worst at night.
- Unclear menu.
- Dealing with customer support service.
- Sometimes it’s not possible to change between modes.
Jackson Wang
Divorced, 1 dog, 1 cat and plants.
Retired, 74 y.o
Beijing, China
Needs and Goals
- I need to know what my AQI is.
- I need a place to buy a replacement filter.
Pain Points
- I don't know the difference between the AQI inside my house and outside.
- What is the difference between sleep mode and sleep schedule?
- The light with sleep mode bothers me when I am napping