Revolutionising Smart Building Management

Client Background

UMA is a cutting-edge workplace technology platform, harmonizing various tools like Office365 and Google Workspace to streamline workplace collaboration and resource management. Through integrated data insights, UMA elevates the overall employee experience.

Project Background

On the heels of contributing to the design evolution of UMA's MVP mobile app, my next venture was leading the design and development of a web application geared towards the management of spaces and devices in smart buildings. This app aimed at providing an all-encompassing solution for monitoring, controlling, and optimizing various building aspects. Simultaneously, this web application shared crucial features with the mobile app, ensuring consistent functionality across different platforms.

Problem Statement

The challenge was to design a web application that enables facility managers to monitor and control the usage and status of spaces, devices, and resources in a smart building. The solution must also facilitate the efficient scheduling of rooms and other shared facilities, integrate seamlessly with the IoT ecosystem of the building, and offer insights to help enhance operational efficiency and resource management.

Design Process

I adopted the Double Diamond design process, a holistic approach that championed both expansive and critical thinking. This process was instrumental in helping us to explore all potential features and considerations ('Discover' and 'Develop' phases), and subsequently to refine and focus the solution ('Define' and 'Deliver' phases). This design process guided us in addressing all critical requirements - from space monitoring to device control. With iterative testing and refining at each stage, we aimed to deliver a solution that met the needs of facility managers in a smart building context.

Objective

Develop a web application that allows facility managers to monitor and control spaces and devices in smart buildings.
Provide real-time data about room availability, occupancy levels, and device status.
Incorporate a feature for tracking and managing energy consumption of the building.
Include functionalities for preventative maintenance and fault detection for devices and systems.
Enable the scheduling and management of shared facilities.
Ensure seamless integration with the building's IoT ecosystem.

Research Strategy

To gather insight on the challenges faced by facility managers in managing spaces and devices in smart buildings, we conducted interviews and focus groups. Key questions included:

What is your current process for managing spaces and devices in your building?
Can you identify any issues or challenges you face with your current system?
How do you currently manage energy consumption, and what improvements would you like to see?
How does your current system support preventative maintenance and fault detection?
How do you schedule and manage shared facilities in your building?
How well does your current system integrate with the building's IoT ecosystem?

These inquiries helped us gain valuable insights into the pain points and challenges experienced by facility managers, enabling us to design a solution that addressed these issues effectively.