C-Wire Adaptor Installation Guide

Crafting a simple guide for a complex problem

Project Overview

If a home lacks the necessary C-wire required for a smart thermostat to function, an adaptor must be wired directly into the furnace. Honeywell wanted to enable the average homeowner to successfully complete this task instead of requiring the support of a professional contractor.

My Role

I led UX design, visual design, and research to create the step-by-step installation guide.

The Team

I partnered with the product owner to understand user needs and consulted on product labeling with the lead industrial designer.

The Challenge

Create a new installation guide to successfully walk the average homeowner through the intimidating and nerve-wracking task of wiring a C-Wire adaptor directly into a furnace.

 

Wiring a furnace is intimidating!

 

Design Approach

  • Understand User Needs

  • Competitive Analysis

  • Design & Validation

Understand User Needs

I reviewed research conducted with professional installers and homeowners for insights and to identify challenging steps in the process.

 
 

Competitive Analysis

I ran in-lab testing sessions to observe homeowners installing competitors’ products to gain additional insights and discern patterns or best practices.

 

Participant installing a competitor’s product

 

Design & Validation

I designed a user-friendly guide with step-by-step visuals and concise instructions. I then conducted in-lab testing to validate several iterations of the guide. Each session helped me identify and refine steps of the guide that needed clarification or added detail.

Outcomes

  • The final iteration of the guide successfully addressed the problems identified during initial research.

  • The guide I designed began shipping with the C-Wire adaptor that was included with every smart thermostat Honeywell sold.

Summary

This project was a great opportunity for me to stretch beyond my normal UX/UI work by designing visual references and leading testing.