Echo Glow
Released 11/2019
Role Sr. UX Designer
Summary
Kids Edition devices have been a popular product for Amazon customers with families; providing kids a safe environment, offering lots of content via the FreeTime Unlimited subscription, and accessories that would extend the device’s lifespan.
Leadership looked for ways to extend the Kids experience by…
Adding customer utility (for kids and caregivers)
Create paths to monetization (e.g. Glow specific skills that were behind the firewall)
Boost value to the Kids+ subscription.
After the release of multiple generations of Kindles and the first release of the Kids Edition Echo Dot, the Kids & Family Team sought new device types that would bring utility and enjoyment to families. Based on preliminary research, a kids’ smart light met this need.
I owned all the UX touchpoints for the project, which included:
Evaluating go to market use cases and features.
Device setup flows (for device visualizations, Alexa App, and web touchpoints).
Developing animations and color-coding (via JSON) for the Tech firmware team.
Writing VUI for connected Alexa device(s), influencing Alexa’s smart home and music groups.
Creating and conducting research/usability sessions.
Communicating and validating with Legal representatives. Tap was a new category of data which required its own legal acceptance criteria.
Running retrospective sessions. These were used to highlight opportunities for Echo Glow v2.
Results
Upon getting a 4.25 CSAT (customer satisfaction) score from beta participants, the device was launch-ready.
The team was able to get a complete build ready for Dave Limp’s (SVP Devices) device event 9/25/2019 and began taking online pre-orders.
The device became available online and physical stores including Amazon’s 4-Star Store, Best Buy, Wholefoods.
The Echo Glow earned the #1 spot for Smart Lamps on Amazon.
As of 4/2022, Echo Glow is still on sale with 4.6 stars and over 36k ratings.
An introduction: how does this thing work?
The device came to me as a nearly baked product from the Lab 126 team in California. I had to learn about the device capabilities and work with hardware, firmware, and Kids’ teams to best make software decisions.
Sorting out the basics…
Who’s it for and what should it do?
Ultimately, the Echo Glow had to be a mix of utility and fun for both kids and adults.
Device setup
The easiest path towards getting beta devices ready was to define the setup process. This required optional setups between other Alexa devices, using the Alexa App, and defining LED light states during the process (right). Since this was a kids product, we also needed to add new VPC (Verified Parental Consent) functionality for legal compliance.
Echo Glow was one of the first generation of devices with the Made for Humans Certification. Setup had to be easy enough for anyone to set up, not just early adopters.
Tap & Color Coding
Once setup is completed, the device had to offer features that kids can engage with immediately. I defined the colors and states that would best represent the device’s potential via a tap order. Mocks were not enough, I also had to color-correct and validate LED programming to match color names to the Glow output.
Fixing problems.
tap tap Tap TAP TAP!
Early into PM/UX investigation, we noticed something wrong with the tap experience. Bumping or tapping a table would easily change light state or turn it on. Tapping a light was often difficult to do via the dome, the area customers would want to touch the light. We had to run many iterative versions of firmware across many usability sessions, on many surfaces, with many kids before we were comfortable going to market. Ultimately, we captured data of over 500 participants (both parents and kids) just for this issue.
UX would organize and capture video across many types of usability sessions; including internal testing on multiple furniture types, home lab testing with parents and kids, and ad hoc testing at other public events.
Additionally, we’d setup equipment provided by the firmware team to capture tap data in code.
Coding Animations
Getting tap, colors, and setup was a foundation to turning on a lightbulb. It wasn’t a fun 4-star device yet. Animation (modes) became the way kids can engage with their light for holidays, playtimes, or dance parties. Initially I mocked what lights could be mid-animation, but it wasn’t enough. I extended what little I knew about JSON from color calibration and learned to code the LED arrays to animate. I worked with firmware and GTM teams to cram in as many of these features as possible.
Results
Upon getting a 4.25 CSAT (customer satisfaction) score from beta participants, the device was launch-ready.
The team was able to get a complete build ready for Dave Limp’s (SVP Devices) device event 9/25/2019 and began taking online pre-orders.
The device became available online and physical stores including Amazon’s 4-Star Store, Best Buy, Wholefoods.
The Echo Glow earned the #1 spot for Smart Lamps on Amazon.
As of 4/2022, Echo Glow is still on sale with 4.6 stars and over 36k ratings.