An Iterative Approach to User-Centered Design of Smart Home Systems.

Recent technological advances have brought smart homes to the forefront of innovation, transforming the home into a platform that can support residents’ connectivity and care. Smart home systems promise a more convenient and comfortable lifestyle for people across ages and of different living arrangements, for example improving older adults’ ability to safely age in place. The present study aims to illustrate how an iterative design process with user involvement and evaluation in real-world settings could be used to inform and facilitate the development of an integrated, remotely-deployed smart home technology system. An experimental smart home prototype was developed to demonstrate a secure, scalable service model addressing future home service needs. The process was informed by user-centered design methods and iteratively refined based on feedback from target users. This study demonstrates key considerations for design researchers and practitioners in designing user studies that can provide a comprehensive, holistic understanding of the user experience and, in turn, most effectively inform future design decisions.