Preview
Project background
This solution was implemented as an updated interface replacing the SmartThings consumer app as the control interface for retail demonstrations implemented at Ashley Furniture stores. Varied smart-home vignettes demonstrate different lifestyle scenarios for shoppers to experience.
The SmartThings application offers a deep feature set far beyond what is required for in store demos often leading shoppers to become confused and abandon the experience.
Tablets were frequently misplaced, uncharged, and out of connection with their specific devices.
With limited control of content playback when not in store sub par content from youtube and randomly selected TV channels was often played.
An initial version of a demo interface was created by Ashely and Rockbot to replace the SmartThings consumer application prior to my involvement in its design pictured below.
I advocated for my team to fund the expansion of the interface and took over design and content management for the new software build prior to implementation at scale to ensure brand alignment and experience ownership.
Design efforts
Single press experience trigger
It was critical that the vignette responded to a single interaction from a shopper with no chance of error or misfire in order to capture interest and deliver the target demo experience.
The only pressable elements on the initial screen are the playlist buttons and a single press triggers content change on the zones TV and the control page of the interface.
There are 9 possible content lists so I implemented a flexible grid to accomodate 1-9 playlist buttons.
On the cards themselves I added an animated play button matched to the SmartThings app and to ensure the interface responded to each interaction clearly.
Thumbnails were sized at 16:9 so a screenshot from any standard piece of content would fit with no need for resizing.
Scrollable content index
I merged design language from the SmartThings UI and standard content cards from video streaming mobile apps.
This ensures that active video is easily identifiable and the list of alternative options is intuitive and aligned with typical browsing experiences.
TV screen scaler and micro smart remote
A real time screen sizing demo was critical for sales enablement. The in scene TVs are typically the largest screen size offered for that model. The screen size selector allows customers to view all available dimensions from the same tablet TV pair.
Engineering aligned with selecting a slider with the ability to press icons and numbers to trigger the change as well. I chose a skeuomorphic design to match with the SmartRemote and to strengthen the indication that the slider was an interactive element.
I also implemented a reduced version of the SmartThings smart remote a digital remote available in app to consolidate playback controls in a common area and to represent an important cross device benefit of owning a Samsung TV and using SmartThings.
Audio Playback planogram
The Audio comparison planogram was a key feature for the Ashley team. It allows customers toggle between audio playback devices demonstrating the value of soundbars and external speakers, and saw high independent discovery with initial users of the experience.
I updated the visual styling to feature product images rather than icons and ensured users could alternate playback options through icon based buttons and the images themselves providing more pathways for discovery.
This also allowed the addition and removal of devices from vignette to vignette without disrupting the overall layout.
QR Scan mobile control and registration flow
In order to represent the complete ecosystem benefits of SmartThings the team aligned on creating a QR scan opportunity allowing customers to scan from an in scene display and open a web page with same control capabilities as the tablet experience.
I also ensured that endpoints of this mobile experience point to SmartThings download links to ensure an opportunity to enter the ecosystem fully and explore more out of retail was present.
Experience content managment
After I finished designing the interface I worked through Samsung's internal content catalogue to create curated a selection of videos to be placed for each scene based on the lifestyle scenario represented and the devices present.
Each zone features a base loop with a video for TV model, Audio, and a selected feature that plays continuously with audio muted but can also be triggered with volume, a SmartThings video, any number of scene specific lifestyle videos, and select overlap from other zones.
System Expansion
Repurposing assets for TV comparison wall
Ashley also wanted an interface to drive comparison between TVs on their 8 display 24 foot TV wall.
I collaborated with Rockbot to repurpose and visually differentiate tablet interface assets and select functional content for this experience as well.
Outcomes
Live, driving interest, and set to expand
Once the software was completed I travelled to the store to install hardware and execute final software tests with Rockbot's Director of emerging product.
Demoed the experience to VP of SmartThings Korea, Samsung US CMO, SmartThings US Director of Marketing and Ashley Furniture Executives driving interest from Samsung US, Samsung Korea, and additional retail partners.
A live demo instance set to be installed at Samsung's New Jersey HQ in week 3 of March, as well as 30+ Ashley Furniture stores and 8 City home stores in 2026.