I created a concept of Alexa smart home integration into Windows 11

Table of contents

• Overview and challenge
• Research and Ideation
• Design
• Testing
• Outcomes and Reflection
• Next Steps

Overview and challenge

Windows and smart home

Smart home devices continue to become integral elements for users' daily lives and managing these devices seamlessly through voice commands, phone apps, and personal computers becomes a fundamental need, prompting the integration of Alexa capabilities into the Windows 11 ecosystem.

Problem Statement

As users embrace smart home devices, the demand for interconnected ecosystem and ability to control smart home devices rises. Despite being the latest iteration of the world's most widely used operating system, Windows 11 lacks native smart home management functionality. This concept addresses the escalating demand for an integrated solution, specifically aiming to enhance user convenience by seamlessly connecting Windows 11 with Alexa-compatible IoT devices.

Research and ideation

I started research from the  analysis of the Microsoft Windows, identifying its audience, competitors, and relevant history of company with smart home devices.

Researching connected home feature in Windows 10

Microsoft already had smart home features inside its own smart assistant Cortana on Windows 10, but it was not as popular as company expected and as a result Cortana is now available only for business users, and "Connected Home" feature was completely removed.
I identified key problems due to which users did not use "Connected Home" feature:

• Availability: Limited number of supported devices.
• Accessibility: Devices could only be controlled by voice.
• Usability: Connected home was hidden in Cortana app settings under "Cortana Notebook" which made it harder to find for users

Alexa app for Windows

There is an Alexa app for Windows, but not many people know about it and it should always stay open in a tray and there is no quick way to control a smart home. The user has to open it, wait while it loads, and get to the "Smart Home" tab in the menu to get to the actual smart devices list. To eliminate inconveniences and improve user experience and accessibility I designed a concept that is based on Amazon Alexa smart home technologies and is integrated into Windows 11. Since Amazon has partnered with Microsoft onbringing Android apps to Windows 11, there is always a possibility for partnership on another project like smart home.

Target audience

The target audience for this feature are Windows 11 users who are interested in smart home devices, especially those aged 18-34. This age group has the highest adoption rate of smart home devices, as they value convenience, security, energy efficiency, and entertainment. According to a 2022 Statista survey, 90% of the respondents in this age group owned at least one smart home device. This indicates a huge potential for the feature to capture a large share of the market and increase the user satisfaction.

Competitive analysis

To understand the current state of the smart home market and the opportunities for Windows 11, I conducted a competitive analysis of the existing operating systems that offer smart home features. I compared Windows 11 with MacOS, ChromeOS, and Linux, based on the following criteria:

• Availability: How widely used and accessible is the operating system?
• Functionality: How well does the operating system support smart home devices and platforms?
• User experience: How easy and intuitive is the operating system to control smart home devices?
  

Here are the market shares for major operation systems:

Here are the results of my analysis:

• MacOS from Apple has native support for smart home devices through their Home app, which is compatible with Apple HomeKit and Siri. MacOS users can access smart home devices through the dedicated Home app, or by using Siri voice commands. MacOS has 16.8% market share.
• ChromeOS from Google has a dedicated Google Home app to control smart devices, and extensive Google Assistant support with typing and voice commands. ChromeOS users can access smart home devices through the Google Home app, or by using Google Assistant voice or text commands. ChromeOS has 1.3% of the market share.
• Linux does not have a native smart home support, but it has some third-party applications and frameworks that enable smart home integration, such as Home Assistant, OpenHAB, and Domoticz. Linux users can access smart home devices through these applications, or by using custom scripts and commands. Linus has 2.3% of the market share.
  
• Windows from Microsoft has 75.5% of the market share and despite a great demand, it does not have native smart home controls. All major competitors have implemented integrations with IoT and smart home controls in their operating systems, giving them an edge over Windows.
  

Interview insights

I talked to 10 Windows 11 users who owned smart home devices to learn about their experiences and expectations. The main insights that I gained from the interviews are:

• Users want a native UI to control smart home devices on Windows 11. They find mobile apps and voice assistants to be inconvenient or inaccessible at times.
• Users often face situations where they cannot access their smart home devices because their phones are in different rooms or out of battery. They wish they could control their devices with a simple click on their PC.
• Users are not satisfied with voice assistants. They do not always work as expected or respect their privacy. They also do not want to bother others or themselves by shouting “Alexa” or “Hey Google” in various situations
  
• Users with speech impairments or disabilities need a UI that is accessible and easy to use. They cannot use voice assistants at all. They value the benefits of smart home devices for improving their quality of life, but they feel left out by the lack of support on Windows 11
  

Key findings

• Number of IOT devices grows with a high rate, 47% of population in the US have least one smart home device.
• Competitors such as Google and Apple have smart home controls implemented in their operating systems.
• Microsoft had connected home feature, but it was limited and hidden in Cortana menus. As a result, majority of users didn't know about this feature and it was removed.
  
• Creating more interfaces for interaction with IOT devices make them more accessible and easy to use, improving user experience.
  
• Windows users tend to associate smart home devices primarily with smartphones and smart speakers. Conversely, users within the Apple ecosystem perceive their smart home devices as seamlessly integrated with every device they own, including Mac devices. This distinction in perception underscores diverse user expectations, revealing an opportunity to reshape the smart home experience within the Windows environment.
  

Design

Sketches

To explore different interface options and validate them with users, I created low-fidelity paper prototypes. I sketched two alternative solutions for integrating smart home features into Windows 11: the first one was a widget for the Alexa app that could be accessed from the new widget board, and the second one was a user interface that could be launched from the control center as an overlay on top of the existing Windows 11 device controls. The second solution offered a more seamless and intuitive user experience, but it required more technical complexity and collaboration between Amazon and Microsoft.

Prototypes

Moving forward to high-fidelity prototypes I decided to design both variants. Here is the first variant - Alexa widget:

Alexa widget shows featured devices and provides a quick way to control them. Besides smart home features it has a big blue Alexa button, which invokes voice assistant, and "Lists" button, which opens your lists and allows to manage them:

Second design variant is a native smart controls UI integrated in the Windows.
It is integrated with Alexa and allows direct control of smart devices, that connected to Alexa smart home:

Testing

I conducted usability testing with 10 users to compare two design variations for integrating smart home features into Windows 11: a widget for the Alexa app and a native interface in the control center. I measured the time, clicks, and satisfaction of users as they performed tasks such as turning on the lights, adjusting the thermostat, switching Alexa guard on and off, or checking the security cameras. The results showed that users preferred the native interface, as it was more convenient, intuitive, and enjoyable to use. The native interface required only 2 clicks to access, while the Alexa app required 5 clicks. Users liked the native interface more because it was available “out of the box” and did not require them to search and download the Alexa app from elsewhere. They were also more willing to spend time and set it up, as they felt it was more integrated with the Windows 11 system. Users appreciated that the native interface was located in the control center, where they could access other basic device features such as Wi-Fi, and that it did not take any space in the taskbar. Users tended to forget about the widget button, some said that they turned it off on their PC, because there was nothing useful for them and only widgets from Microsoft. Some users also suggested that the native interface should have an expanded and compact views.

Outcomes and Reflection

Based on the usability testing results, I decided to pursue the native interface design variation, as it was more aligned with the user needs and expectations. I created high-fidelity mockups and prototypes of the native interface, using the Windows 11 design guidelines and the Alexa smart home icons. I published my concept on Behance and Dribbble, and submitted it to Microsoft as a potential feature for Windows 11. I plan to incorporate the user feedback and suggestions, such as adding an expanded and compact view option, and get more feedback by uploading my concept to various online platforms and communities.

Through this project, I enhanced my skills in:

• 🪟Designing within existing design systems.
• 🖇️Combining different design systems together to achieve a unified look and user experience.
• 🔎Conducting usability testing and communicating my design process and rationale.