Overview

The Process

Problem

Lack of Usability Leading to User Frustration

The Smart HQ Pro Service app supports technicians in repairing GE appliances. With a rapid rise in contracts and users, complaints about the app’s usability had also increased, highlighting the need for a comprehensive redesign. As the UX/UI designer, I worked closely with software developers to address these challenges and improve the app’s overall user experience.

Challenges

Inconsistent Design and Delayed Development Cycle

The app faced several significant usability problems. Its complex navigation made it inconvenient for users, and new users found it confusing and hard to navigate. On top of that, the design system was completely different from Smart HQ Home, causing inconsistencies that weakened the overall brand cohesion. As the app grew with new features, both the design and development teams struggled to stay efficient, often having to create new designs from scratch, which slowed down development timelines.

Unintuitive Usability

Brand inconsistency

Inefficient development

Research

User Research and Usability Test

Technicians in GE and non-GE
The app’s primary users are technicians, both GE and non-GE appliance repair professionals. To better understand their needs, we analyzed how they interacted with the app, reviewed user feedback, and simulated various use-case scenarios.

This helped us identify key issues that were causing frustration and leading users to abandon the app. Technicians often struggled to quickly find the features they needed or access appliance diagnostics. Bluetooth connectivity was another major pain point, as the app didn’t clearly indicate whether an appliance was connected, newly connected, or having connection issues, leaving users uncertain about what to do next.

Research Other Design Systems

Studied design systems to enhance my understanding of creating cohesive, scalable, and efficient design solutions for UX projects by looking for components, structure, phrase, and others.

Design Goals

Improve accessibility for all technicians

Enable technicians, even those unfamiliar with GE appliances, to easily diagnose and repair appliances through the app.‍

Enhance brand consistency

Create visual and functional consistency within the GE Appliances app ecosystem to strengthen brand unity.‍

Streamline development processes

Utilize a cohesive design system that allows the development team to implement updates more efficiently and frequently without starting from scratch.‍

Solution

Feature Consolidation and Main Screen Optimization

Confidential User Flow

Improving Visual Clarity and Simplifying Navigation

Confidential Detail Features

Improve Development Speed by Creating Design System

Creating Design System for Smart HQ Service

Iteration

Accelerating Design Through Team Collaboration

From the early stages, I worked closely with the development team, quickly presenting grouped features and overall flow to gather feedback. By iterating on the design based on their input and maintaining active communication, we were able to rapidly refine the design. This collaborative approach allowed us to complete a comprehensive redesign within just six months, receiving final approval from stakeholders.

Appstore Update Version History

Final Design

Enhanced Visual Clarity and Accessibility

Placed the most frequently used features as icons on the main screen, making them easy to locate at a glance. Additionally, I minimized the depth to simplify usability, allowing anyone to easily use the app and quickly diagnose and repair appliances without unnecessary complexity.

Main Screen

To minimize navigation depth, we prioritized surfacing frequently used features directly on the main screen, while grouping similar functionalities together for easier access. By incorporating intuitive icons alongside text, we ensured that users could quickly recognize and engage with key features visually, reducing reliance on text and improving overall usability.

Bluetooth Connect

Designed the interface to clearly communicate the current status and guide users through the next steps. By using color as a visual cue, users can quickly see if their devices are properly connected. Additionally, if there are nearby appliances available for Bluetooth connection, the interface automatically displays them, allowing users to easily identify whether they are reconnecting to a previously connected device or setting up a new one.

Cycle History

With a large amount of historical data for each appliance, we redesigned the interface to display this information in an easy-to-understand graph, using color to differentiate key data points. This improvement allows users to quickly interpret the data at a glance, enhancing the overall clarity and usability of the interface.

AI Service Asisstant

We added a chatbot feature that helps technicians quickly find the necessary functions through AI when an urgent need arises during repairs. Based on our research, we developed this feature to assist technicians in quickly locating the required tools, especially when working under time constraints or in unfamiliar environments.

Interaction with Coach Mark

Created a prototype that explains the main features to guide first-time users easily through the app. To ensure that non-GE technicians could easily use the app from the beginning, we introduced an interactive introduction with coach marks. With the 2.0 update, the user flow was also redesigned to be more intuitive, helping even existing users quickly adapt to the new interface.

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