Carla Diana Knihy

Your relationships with 'smart' products are evolving into something more personal. People now routinely ask Siri for weather updates, use Roomba for cleaning, and call on Alexa to control lighting. The 'smart home' market is projected to reach $124 billion in the next five years, promising products that integrate seamlessly with our daily routines in cooking, cleaning, entertainment, security, and hygiene. These devices can motivate loved ones to exercise, remind elderly parents to take medications, and even teach children manners, becoming part of our households. However, current first-generation 'smart' products lack true intelligence. While they can perform various functions, their potential to enhance our lives is just beginning to be realized. The key to advancing these products lies in design. In this insightful book, product design expert Carla Diana reveals how technology enables designers to humanize consumer products in subtle yet impactful ways. Through vivid examples of social design principles in development, she illustrates how innovative uses of light, sound, and movement can elicit human responses. Diana provides practical guidelines for conceptualizing and optimizing products using techniques like vision imagery, scenario storyboarding, and behavior charting, offering valuable insights for anyone involved in the expanding smart marketplace.