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Case 04 · Spatial IoT

CH.4 · Advancing spatial UX

SmartThings Map View

The smart home on a 3D floor plan

Proposed a SmartThings experience where you see and control devices on a 3D plan of your actual home instead of a list of icons — and launched it first for smart apartments.

Period
2023.01 – 2023.12
Role
UI/UX design lead (proposed and adopted as an advanced concept in 2022, then built)
Awards
2024 iF Design Award
SmartThings Map View key visual — a phone showing a home floor plan with device icons such as lights and air conditioners in each room, and a 'Stand lamp On' control pop-up.
2024 iF Design Award — SmartThings Map ViewiF Design — SmartThings Map View ↗

Context · Problem

With icon lists for device control, it was hard to grasp at a glance where devices are in the home and what state they're in.

Lists lose location

When devices only appear in a list, you have to remember by name which device is in which room.

The burden of drawing a plan

Asking users to draw their home themselves adds friction from the very first use.

The smart-apartment link

Smart apartments already have floor plans and installed-device data that could be put to use.

Role · Approach

From advanced concept to app launch

Role: UI/UX design lead (proposed and adopted as an advanced concept in 2022, then built)

  1. 01

    2022 concept proposed and adopted

    Proposed showing SmartThings on a 3D plan of the actual home, and the concept was adopted.

  2. 02

    2023 built into the app

    As UI/UX design lead, brought the adopted concept into the SmartThings app.

  3. 03

    Worked with builders

    Worked with builders of new complexes to connect every room and place devices automatically by space.

Key Design · Map View creation flow

Automatic floor plans + automatic device placement

  1. The Create Map View screen offering four ways as cards — find a floor plan, photograph a plan, draw by hand, or place rooms and walls.1

    Create Map View

    Find, photograph or draw a plan

  2. The find-a-floor-plan screen — locate and select the apartment complex on a map and tap to view floor plans.2

    Find the complex

    Choose it by map or search

    Auto in smart apts
  3. The select-a-floor-plan screen showing the complex's plans by unit size.3

    Pick the unit size

    The complex's plans by size

    Auto in smart apts
  4. The Map View editor, with the chosen plan turned into a room layout and tabs for layout, interior and devices.4

    3D plan created

    Map View from the chosen plan

  5. The devices tab of the Map View editor — drag spaces such as laundry, kitchen and bedroom onto the plan to place devices.5

    Place devices

    Devices placed by space

    Auto in smart apts
  6. A finished Map View with device icons placed in each room of the home plan.6

    Map View done

    Check and control on the space

Creating a Map View in the SmartThings app (general-user screens, 2023.10)Naver blog — how to make a SmartThings Map View ↗
  1. 1

    Complex & size found

    In SmartThings-linked smart apartments, the complex and unit size are found and the plan loaded automatically. (②·③)

  2. 2

    3D plan, automatically

    The loaded plan becomes a 3D plan of the actual home automatically. (④)

  3. 3

    Devices auto-placed

    Entrance, living-room and kitchen IoT devices land in the right spots on the plan. (⑤)

  4. 4

    Every room

    Working with builders of new complexes, every room is connected and devices are placed automatically by space.

Key Design · Smart apartments first

Map View launched first for smart apartments

A model in a smart-apartment living room showing the SmartThings Map View on a foldable phone.
SmartThings Map View for smart apartments announced (2023.07.06, courtesy of Samsung)News1 — Samsung unveils Map View-based SmartThings home IoT ↗
  1. 1

    Smart apartments first

    Introduced a Map View-based home IoT solution for smart apartments with SmartThings (announced 2023.07.06).

  2. 2

    About four months ahead of Amazon

    Announced about four months before Amazon Alexa's Map View (reported 2023.11.15).

  3. 3

    A first for IoT solutions

    The first IoT solution to automatically convert 2D plans to 3D and place devices automatically.

  4. 4

    2024 iF Design Award

    SmartThings Map View won a 2024 iF Design Award.

Impact

  • FirstIoT solution with automatic 2D→3D conversion and device placement
  • ~4 monthsAnnounced ahead of Amazon Alexa Map View
  • The first IoT solution with automatic 2D→3D conversion and automatic device placement
  • Announced for smart apartments on 2023.07.06, about four months ahead of Amazon Alexa's Map View (reported 2023.11.15)
  • 2024 iF Design Award

Links