Hardware Podcasts

249: It Depends

Embedded.fm · 15 Jun 2018 · 1h 13m · Episode 249

What this episode covers

Claire Rowland, lead author of 'Designing Connected Products' and a UX consultant specializing in the Internet of Things, discusses the critical role of user experience in hardware-enabled services. She argues that reliability and local control are often sacrificed for connectivity, leading to frustrating user interactions where devices fail or behave unpredictably. Rowland emphasizes that good IoT design requires treating the product as a holistic system, integrating technical architecture, business models, and privacy considerations rather than just focusing on the interface.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
O'Reilly, Alert Me, British Gas Hive, Tesla, IoT UK
Products
Apple Watch, HomeKit, Philips Hue, Amazon Echo, Model 3, Strava
Also
GDPR

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • IoT For All Podcast · 18m

    The Importance of UX Design for IoT Adoption | Velavu's Rob Shudra & Dominic Peters | Internet of Things Podcast

    Rob Shudra and Dominic Peters, co-founders of Velavu, discuss the critical role of UX design in IoT adoption, emphasizing that smooth user experience is often the deciding factor for product success. They explain how Velavu uses vertical integration to maintain design continuity across its hardware, firmware, and software, avoiding the disjointed experiences common in partner-centric ecosystems. The founders highlight the challenges of balancing technical constraints with design goals, the importance of transparent customer expectation management, and the strategic value of working with industry-specific integrators to overcome adoption barriers.

    Industrial & consumer product designConnected products & IoT
    6 chapters

  • IoT For All Podcast · 38m

    Why IoT Needs Design to Thrive | Hannah White, VP of Design at Leverege | #AskIoT E001

    Hannah White, VP of Design at Leverege, explains that the IoT industry is currently in an 'IoT bubble' similar to the early dot-com era, lacking established design standards. She argues that many IoT solutions fail because they prioritize hardware connectivity over user-centric design, resulting in dashboards filled with raw data that users cannot interpret or act upon. White emphasizes the need for designers to bridge the physical and digital worlds, focusing on actionable alerts rather than complex graphs, and highlights the importance of hiring designers with strong problem-solving skills and scientific backgrounds to navigate these complexities.

    Industrial & consumer product designConnected products & IoT
    10 chapters

  • The Hardware Entrepreneur · 43m

    #017 - How *not* to think about IoT, with Michael Vladimer of Orange IoT Studio, USA

    Michael Vladimer, co-founder of Orange IoT Studio, outlines a framework for building successful IoT products, arguing that they must solve compelling problems rather than just connecting everything. He defines the core MVP of an IoT device as consisting of sensors, connectivity, computation, and user interface, while warning against expecting users to invest smartphone-level effort into these devices. Vladimer also discusses the nuances of IoT security, advocating for context-specific standards based on data sensitivity, and shares insights on cross-cultural communication and storytelling in product development.

    Connected products & IoTSecurity & privacy
    7 chapters

  • IoT For All Podcast · 36m

    IoT’s Power to Innovate and Disrupt | Eseye's Nick Earle

    Nick Earle, CEO of Eseye, discusses how IoT enables business disruption by moving beyond simple connectivity to create new data-driven business models. He highlights case studies including Freddie Hirsch's sausage machine ecosystem, Costa Coffee's personalized vending machines, and Bosch's global lawnmower deployment to illustrate the power of ubiquitous, agnostic connectivity. Earle identifies the two main inhibitors to IoT adoption as the underestimated complexity of hardware design and the lack of global interoperability in mobile networks. He concludes by emphasizing that successful IoT requires focusing on the end-user experience and ROI rather than just the technology stack.

    Connected products & IoTWireless & RF
    7 chapters

  • IoT For All Podcast · 1h 00m

    How to Design and Build Connected Devices | Wai Loong-Lim, Founder and CEO of Y Studios | #AskIoT E023

    Wai Loong-Lim, founder of Y Studios, discusses the industrial design and engineering challenges of building connected devices, citing work with Sonos, TiVo, and Little Fish. He explains how his firm navigates the trade-offs between aesthetics, cost, and technical constraints like RF and thermal management. The conversation also covers the business models of smart assistants (Amazon, Google, Apple) and the privacy concerns associated with IoT adoption.

    Industrial & consumer product designConnected products & IoT
    10 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Embedded.fm. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.