Home Mobile App

Video debut of the VoltSafe Home Mobile app which was unveiled at CES 2023

Background

VoltSafe is a Canadian tech startup that has innovated on the electrical plug, with the first-ever prongless magnetic plug for high power. Using groundbreaking, patented technology, VoltSafe has created the world's safest, simplest, and smartest plug design since electricity came into homes more than 140 years ago.

The VoltSafe Home product was first revealed to the public in a successful appearance in the hit Canadian TV show, Dragons' Den, in 2018.

This case study examines the creation and success of the VoltSafe Home Demo App, which I designed to showcase the VoltSafe Home product at CES 2023 and to potential investors, early adopters, and the general public.

Discovery

The problem that VoltSafe is trying to solve is to create an IoT interface for their new technology that provides real-time energy monitoring at the outlet level, coupled with smart plug capabilities.

To design for different user groups, I created several personas, based off user surveying, research and findings from previous discovery phases of our other similar VoltSafe projects such as VoltSafe Marine and VoltSafe Winter.  Each persona has different needs and desires when it comes to the VoltSafe Home product, and the app was designed with these needs in mind. Empathy maps were created for each persona to better understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors when it comes to the VoltSafe Home product.

Persona 1: Investor Ivan

Interested in disruptive home automation technologies, he seeks to make informed investment decisions and improve safety and energy efficiency in homes.

Says: Asks questions about the technology and potential market, requests information about financial and performance data.

Thinks: Excitement about the potential of the product, interest in learning more about the technology and its potential use cases.

Does: Reviews financial and performance data, attends presentations and meetings to learn more about the technology and the team behind it.

Feels: Excitement about the potential for the product to improve safety and energy efficiency, pressure to make informed investment decisions.

Persona 2: Early Adopter Emily

Curious about the VoltSafe Home product and its features and is interested in being one of the first to try out new technology.

Says: asks detailed questions about the product's features and functionality and shares her experiences with the product on social media and with friends and family.

Thinks: Curious about the product and its features, interested in being one of the first to try out new technology, and excited about the benefits and overall cool-factor.

Does: Engages by asking questions, sharing experiences, and providing feedback to improve the product.

Feels: Curiosity, interest, and excitement about the product and its features, including increased safety and energy efficiency.

Ideation

The experience of the product was created to showcase the key features of the VoltSafe Home product, including its safety, simplicity, and energy monitoring capabilities.

The app was designed to be visually appealing and engaging, with high-quality images and graphics that showcased the product's unique design and functionality.

It was also important for the app to be easy to navigate and use, even for those who were not familiar with the product or technology, so clear and concise instructions were provided for each feature. Additionally, the app aimed to provide context and background information on the product, its features, and its benefits, so that users could understand its value and potential use cases.

Production

The VoltSafe Home App was designed to not only be visually appealing and engaging, but also highly usable and accessible. The app was made easy to navigate and use, even for those who may not be familiar with the product or technology. Clear and concise instructions were provided for each feature, ensuring that users could easily understand and utilize the app's functionality.

The UI style was inspired the Jony Ive generation iOS 7 as we felt it suited the design of the physical product.

The app combined some aspects of the clean minimal aesthetic while using realistic 3d renders to depict the corresponding real-life product.

Onboarding

The VoltSafe Home app offers a seamless hardware onboarding process. Users can easily add one or multiple devices at once and provision them with their Wi-Fi credentials. To personalize the devices, users have the option to choose an aesthetic face plate that matches their real life device. Additionally, they can name the top and bottom receptacles of the added devices and add an icon for easy identification. The app also features a convenient "create group" feature, allowing users to group several devices together and perform group actions with ease.

Device Status & Monitoring

Users have the ability to control and view the status of each device. Each device card corresponds to a top or bottom receptacle. In the minimized view, the cards display necessary glanceable information, including a toggle switch to turn the device on and off. To the left of the toggle switch, a dot indicator shows the connectivity status of the device. In the expanded view, users can view live power readings and the activity log. The realistic 3D graphics digitally mirror the live on/off and plugged status of each receptacle.

Scheduling

With the ability to schedule devices, users can set multiple schedules for each receptacle individually or assign them as a group action.

To facilitate this feature, the app incorporates the VoltSafe Circle slider interface, which was previously used in the VoltSafe Winter product. This interface allows users to easily set on and off times for their devices, providing convenience and control over their electrical usage.

Customizability and Cross Compatibility

The VoltSafe Home Demo App also allows users to edit each device card at any time to update the name, icon, faceplate, control mode, and more. This flexibility ensures that users can personalize their device settings to their preferences.

Furthermore, the app is designed to be cross-compatible with other VoltSafe prototypes showcased at CES 2023, such as the industrial unit, MP-15, and the power distribution bar, VoltSafe PDU.

This compatibility enables users to seamlessly integrate and control multiple VoltSafe products within a single app interface, providing a unified and convenient user experience.

‍

By offering these additional features and cross-compatibility, the VoltSafe Home Demo App further enhances its value and demonstrates the versatility and scalability of the VoltSafe product ecosystem.

Dark Mode

Of course, we can't forget about our dark mode interface.

Dark mode provides users with a sleek and modern interface that reduces eye strain and enhances readability. With improved battery efficiency on certain devices, dark mode offers a comfortable and customizable user experience in various lighting conditions.

Results

The VoltSafe Home app played a crucial role in testing and refining the VoltSafe Home technology. This effectively demonstrated the capabilities of the VoltSafe Home product, showcasing its safety, simplicity, and energy monitoring features in a clear and concise manner. As a result, VoltSafe Home was able to establish partnerships with homeowners and residential communities.

Furthermore, this played a key role in securing funding from the National Research Council of Canada and establishing a partnership with a leading home automation company to develop a smart home integration solution for VoltSafe Home.

The VoltSafe Home was recognized as a CES 2023 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Smart Homes category for its innovation in home automation technology. This recognition significantly raised the profile of VoltSafe Home, attracting investors and generating further interest in the product.

The success of the VoltSafe Home highlights the potential of VoltSafe technology in revolutionizing home automation and electrical safety. By continuously incorporating user feedback and improving the app's features, VoltSafe can further enhance the VoltSafe Home product and solidify its position as a leader in the field of electrical plug innovation.

Conclusion

The VoltSafe Home Demo App effectively showcases the innovative features of the VoltSafe plug design and has received positive feedback. By understanding the target audience's requirements, the app effectively communicates the benefits and potential use cases of the VoltSafe Home product. VoltSafe can leverage user feedback to further refine and enhance the product and its accompanying app, solidifying its position as a leader in electrical plug innovation.

The official release of the VoltSafe Home product is expected in Q3 of 2025, demonstrating VoltSafe's commitment to delivering a cutting-edge solution for home automation and electrical safety.