In a pioneering research endeavor funded by the National Science Foundation in partnership with Mozilla I explored the ever-evolving landscape of Smart Home technologies through the lens of User Experience (UX). Recognizing that most IoT-based home security systems lacked intuitive user interactions, our study probed into creating a more user-centric approach to access control and emergency threat response.

Key Project Highlights:

Intuitive Design: Pioneered an interface where homeowners could seamlessly share selective device access, ensuring home security isn’t compromised while away.

Contextual Access Controls: Implemented an innovative Role and Event Based Access Control (REBAC) model. This allowed homeowners to grant limited permissions based on real-time threats—ensuring utmost safety and adaptability.

Real-World Testing: Engaged users with a high-fidelity prototype, crafted meticulously in HTML and JavaScript. This approach allowed us to extract genuine user feedback and further refine the UI/UX.

Multifaceted Scenarios: Included both physical (fire) and cyber (unusual network activity) threat scenarios. This broad spectrum testing ensured our design catered to a variety of user needs and concerns.

By ensuring homeowners felt in control, understood their options, and could respond promptly to threats, our design not only elevated the smart home experience but also accentuated the need for marrying robust technology with intuitive UI/UX design. Dive deeper into this transformative project on acm.org and discover how I can bring this level of innovation and design-thinking to your endeavors.