Roca. Smart Shower

• When we faced the project we did it with a previous work done by the engineers, with an existing initial product where the interface and interaction design were already functionally defined.

  We worked with very diverse teams. In the first place, we had the Roca I+D team that was in charge of adapting, testing and introducing the product into the Roca world at ta physical interface level; and on the other hand, there was the business, marketing and engineering team. This last team was in charge of programming the shower and had the first 100% digital model from which we had to start off to adapt it to the needs of our clients.

  To be able to work with a team of this magnitude it was necessary to take into account several points that helped us stay aligned throughout the whole process:

• • Knowledge coordination: It was very important to take advantage of the knowledge of all the people involved in the project, especially those who manufactured the first model of the shower, since they could solve all the doubts and concerns that could arise throughout the project.
  • Expectations management: We align ourselves with all teams to manage the expectations of each of our clients in the best possible way.
  • Co-creation sessions with stakeholders: We met with all the teams, working together and providing all the knowledge that would be relevant for the development of the product.
  • Communication between teams: Due to the diversity of the team, the language was very diverse. It was very important to find a point in common to enhance communication and find the most appropriate way to communicate with all the members.

Development process

• It was important to understand the product and for this we took into account:

  • Know the technological conditions
  • Immerse ourselves in the basic functional approach
  • Delve into the interaction with the physical product

  We carried out a preliminary investigation of existing products to take referrals and, when we finished analyzing all the data collected, we highlighted the main points that we considered we should attacked first. From this point forward we started the investigation phase.

• When we started the project the engineering team gave us the possibility, as part of the research, to go to the factories and interact with some digital showers so that we could define behavior patterns, analyze accessibility, locations, use of space and functionality, so that we could see at first-hand how the system worked. It was evident that we had to work with Roca at the same time to unify the functionalities already proposed by the engineers in order to build a friendly interaction design and to propose how the system responses should be in the interface, starting from the bases already raised.

• When designing a physical product the interaction patterns acquired by humans over centuries must be taken into account, and in the case of a shower is not an exception. Improving the user experience many times consists in eliminating friction with the user target by avoiding innovation in excess, that is why the design that was made had both analog characteristics, to be able to relate interactions with previous experience, as well as digital ones, which allowed to explode new control and use functionalities that would significantly improve the experience. In conjunction with the technical and I+D team, decisions were made to incorporate analog elements that would facilitate the understanding of the device and its use within the shower context which is so complex at times.

• We started from technical functional flows that delimited the technical aspects of the shower such as the implemented programs, the temperature limits, the physical controllers and some of the digital buttons.

  With this base, we constantly iterate on paper and analyze the different flows to understand the different interactions, we had to take into account all the processes and sub-processes (errors, break-ins, idles …) and analyze the actions of the user to prioritize and enhance those that are more important.

• It was very important to analyze all the cases and situations that could occur when using the shower to contemplate it in the design, not only physical, but also in the app that would go with it.

  For example: What happens if I try to turn off the shower during a program? Will the water stop falling if I try to access navigation during the shower? Should I warn the user before an automatic shutdown? How soon we notify it and how? As we went deeper into the use flows, the casuistry multiplied and we had to find a design that respond to each one of them just as the engineering team had to cover the different problems with technology.

• At this point we face the product digitization phase where we focus on three pillars:

  • Simplicity: The minimum necessary elements that must integrate each screen.
  • Unification: Each similar interaction must have its unified graphic representation.
  • Movement: Each representation is based on the movement.

• Based on these pillars, several visual proposals were presented until the one that responded to all the KPIs established at the beginning of the project was found. It is important to highlight that you must always bear in mind that the important thing about visual design is to be at the service of what we want to communicate, it is not just an aesthetic issue. From these premises we arrive at the following solutions:

  • We represented the temperature and flow graph in a curved way to maintain a direct relationship with the way the user interacts with the dimmer.
  • We used different graphic codes to differentiate the temperature with the water flow. Temperature is represented by lines, hinting at a thermometer, and water by points, which the higher the intensity the greater the quantity.
  • We worked with large fonts with high contrast to adapt them to all users.
• • We always kept the same visual code using a leitmotiv that respond to the same settings, temperature and flow.
  • Another point that we had to take into account was the colors of the TFT. In the first instance, it had been decided by the Roca team that only two colors would be used. However, after carrying out user tests and analyzing the different functionalities and interactions of the shower, we decided to add a wider range of colors to be able to inform and notify the user in a more visual and interactive way, always adapting to the characteristics, costs and quality of the product. It is important to bear in mind that at the same time that we worked on the design the engineers developed the product, always maintaining direct contact with the team and technology needs.

• Testing on prototype

  In order to test our design, we created a navigable prototype for a tablet with 70% of functionality simulated. From this we gathered some users who worked among the team of designers and we proposed 3 different tasks: Starting the shower, exploring options and accessing programs and users. Based on the results, we conducted a recall test and an in-depth interview to learn more about their opinions. Despite the fact that the results obtained were interesting and we were able to find some points that we had to modify, it was evident that it was not a real context and it was biased.

• Testing with real user

  Due to the fact that the test previously carried out was not with the target users nor did we have a realistic prototype, a test was carried out with real users with the product already developed to obtain feedback. After the first impressions using the device, conclusions are reached to functionally and visually adjust some key aspects of the differente interactions and the screens involved in the process of using the shower. Based on these latest results the necessary iterations were carried out in the design and the functionality of the final product.

App Design

• We not only focus on designing the physical interface of the product, but we also worked on the design of the app experience. It goes along with the Smart Shower, so that the user can interact with the device in a context other than the shower offering the possibility of setting up the Warm-up, alarms or even customizing the user according to their needs.

• Like the shower, the engineers already had a more technical flow of the different functionalities of the app and our team started from these first approaches to adapt them to the needs of our client. Some functionalities that we had to take into account were the possibility of programming alarms to start the Warm-up, notifications or warnings of error or finalization of some configurations, modify or change the profile, customize preferences and view water consumption and the time of use of each user.

• A result like this, so thought for the user and at the same time so consistent with the business strategy, can only be achieved by working together with all the teams involved in the project following a process of creation and knowledge of the product, followed by a good research design, user analysis and development from conceptualization to definition.

• It has been a pleasure working with Roca’s I+D, marketing, business and engineers team and being part of the development of this innovative product and accompanying them, once again, in the design of one of their Smart line products.