AUGUST HOME
Smart Lock UX · End-to-End Design Process
From sketch to working product
Paper Prototype
Mapped core task flows — locking, unlocking, adding a guest — on paper. Ran usability tests to expose navigation problems before touching any digital tools.
Iteration
Peer critique revealed the permission hierarchy wasn't obvious. Restructured the guest access flow and redesigned how different access types are communicated.
Figma Prototype
Translated paper into a clickable Figma prototype applying Norman's principles — clear affordances, immediate feedback, natural mapping — to every element.
Live App
Built a fully functional prototype in Lovable with real conditional logic, role-based permissions, and a responsive mobile layout.
// LIVE PROTOTYPE
One lock, many kinds of trust
August Home works great for one owner. Real life has six kinds of users.
The existing August app is built around a single homeowner. But real usage is messier — a house cleaner on Tuesdays, a dog walker at noon, an Airbnb guest at 3pm, family members, and a neighbor with emergency access. Each relationship carries a different level of trust.
This project explored how August's permission and access model could be redesigned to handle all of them intuitively — without requiring the owner to think like a system admin.
// RESEARCH INSIGHTS
- Users couldn't distinguish permanent access from time-limited guest access in the existing app
- Paper testing showed "add guest" was buried — elevated to a primary action in the redesign
- The owner vs. guest mental model needed to be established in onboarding, not discovered mid-use
- Multi-step permission setup spiked cognitive load — introduced progressive disclosure
- Lock/unlock feedback needed to be immediate and unambiguous across all permission levels
One app, six user types
Homeowner
Full admin access. Manages all locks, users, schedules, and permissions from one dashboard.
Family Member
Permanent trusted access. May manage guest schedules depending on what the owner allows.
House Cleaner
Recurring weekly access. Time-restricted. Cannot add others or view entry history.
Dog Walker
Daily time-window access. Owner is notified on every entry and exit.
Airbnb Guest
Date-range access that expires automatically. No extension without owner approval.
Neighbor
Emergency-only access. Requires owner confirmation before the lock responds.
Course principles, applied
NORMAN — AFFORDANCES
Lock state is unmissable
The lock/unlock button uses size, color, and icon together — never color alone. Any user at any permission level instantly knows the state of every lock they can access.
COGNITIVE DESIGN — PROGRESSIVE DISCLOSURE
Who → When → Where
Adding a guest follows a strict order. You choose who before you configure timing before you select which locks. This reduces cognitive load and prevents accidental over-permissioning.
NIELSEN — RECOGNITION OVER RECALL
Roles are pre-defined
Instead of building permissions from scratch, owners pick from named templates: Cleaner, Walker, Guest. Each has visible, adjustable defaults — not a blank slate to memorize.
NORMAN — FEEDBACK
Every action confirms itself
Locking, inviting, revoking — every action produces immediate inline confirmation. The invite button stays disabled until all required fields are complete, preventing empty submissions.
What got built
STAGES
TYPES
ASSIGNMENTS
"This is an outstanding submission and the strongest prototype in the class... You are clearly designing at a systems level."
— Instructor Feedback · UX 60503 · Kent State University · Spring 2026
"AI is a powerful execution tool, not a design thinking partner. It builds quickly when given precise, informed direction — but the direction has to come from the designer."
— UX 60503 Final Project, Spring 2026