Smart Home
Product Design
Designing a smart essential oil diffuser and its app for users to achieve relaxation and a personalized home environment
Many people struggle to truly unwind at home. Vapra transforms your space into a personalized sanctuary by integrating scent, light, and air quality to create the perfect ambiance. Integrated with Philips smart home systems, including Hue lights and air purifiers, Vapra customizes scents based on your mood and air quality, tracked via NOWATCH. With six core scents, it curates the perfect aroma for relaxation and comfort.
Timeline
Fall Quarter 2023 (5 weeks)
What I Did
UX Research, UX Design, Product Design, Wireframe, Prototype, User Testing
Team
Independent Project
Tools I Used
Figma, Photoshop, Rhinoceros 3D, Keyshot (Render)
Redesign Goal
To create a smart diffuser that understands your mood and seamlessly adjusts scent, lighting, and air quality, so you can effortlessly relax and recharge at home. The design focuses on enhancing well-being, providing intuitive controls, and delivering functional yet visually appealing solutions.
Outcome
The design integrates a sleek diffuser with an app that intuitively adapts to user needs. Key features include smart scent recommendations, customizable blends, and seamless integration with Philips smart home ecosystems. This project delivers an innovative solution that promotes relaxation and elevates the overall user experience in modern living spaces.
Creating a Connected Sensory Experience
Imagine walking into your home and instantly feeling at ease—your diffuser knows your mood, adjusts the lighting, and fills the air with the perfect scent for relaxation. Vapra transforms your space into a truly harmonious sanctuary.
Smart Scent Matching
Personalized Blending
Easy Device Setup
Problems
Transforming Homes into Sanctuaries of Relaxation
Stress from Work
Diffusers are a preferred choice for home scents, providing modern functionality.
Urban Living Challenges
Difficulty Relaxing at Home
Homes fail to provide the peace and balance people need.
Why a Diffuser?
Harnessing the Power of Scent to Transform Home Environments
Brain-Scents Connection
Scents bypass the thalamus and directly influence emotions and memory via the amygdala and hippocampus.
Benefits of Aromatherapy
Popularity of Diffusers
Diffusers are a top choice for home scents, offering lasting fragrance and modern functionality.
Why PHILIPS?
Aligning Innovation, Design, and Wellness for a Seamless Experience
Innovative Spirit
Philips' legacy of innovation aligns seamlessly with the forward-thinking vision of this smart fragrance device.
Sleek Design Style
Known for modern, stylish designs, Philips ensures the device fits seamlessly into contemporary homes.
Health and Wellness Focus
Synergy with Smart Home Ecosystem
Philips’ smart home products, like Hue lighting, create a synchronized and immersive user experience when integrated with the fragrance device.
Competitors
Design Insights from Competitive Analysis
An analysis of four smart diffusers on the market revealed that none offered customizable scents, presenting an opportunity to enhance my product's competitive edge.
Audience Interview Insights
Understanding the Role of Fragrance in Daily Life
Primary Purposes of Using Fragrances
To alleviate anxiety and promote relaxation.
To create a sense of daily ritual and mindfulness.
Ambiance Matters
Users highly value the atmosphere created by fragrance devices such as candles, incense, and humidifiers.
These devices play a key role in shaping the atmosphere of a space.
Visual and Sensory Appeal
Light effects (e.g., candle flames or device lighting) enhance the visual experience.
Smoke from incense and soothing accompanying sounds add to the overall sensory satisfaction.
From Insights to Innovation
Key Takeaways Driving the Smart Diffuser Design
Harnessing the Power of Fragrance
Scents enhance mood and relaxation, making a smart diffuser the ideal solution.
Unmet Market Opportunities
No existing diffusers offer smart home integration and customizable scents, highlighting an opportunity.
Sensory and Spatial Interaction
Users value the calming ambiance of candles, highlighting the importance of visual and spatial elements in the product design.
Integrated Living with Vapra
Enhancing the Philips Smart Home Ecosystem Through Scent and Sensory Harmony
The diffuser works independently but connects seamlessly with Philips smart devices, offering users a richer and more immersive sensory experience.
Smart Diffuser Features
Revolutionizing Fragrance with Intelligent Technology
Design System
Design System for a Relaxing User Experience
The app's design incorporates soothing browns and greens to evoke tranquility and a deeper connection to nature, enhancing the overall calming experience.
All Screens
Explore Every Screen at a Glance
Discover all the app’s pages, designed to provide a seamless and intuitive user journey for controlling your smart diffuser.
What I learned
Integrating UX into Product Design
Merging my industrial design background with UX methodologies taught me to prioritize user experience, ensuring the product is both functional and enjoyable to use.
Designing for Smart Home Ecosystems
I gained insights into smart home operations and learned to connect my design seamlessly with existing products, ensuring a cohesive user experience within the ecosystem.
