The client
Honeywell is a multinational conglomerate recognised for its innovative technologies and solutions across various industries, including aerospace, building technologies, performance materials, safety solutions, and the connected home. With their range of connected devices and systems, their Honeywell Home division offers homeowners convenient control over their heating, cooling, security, and automation systems, enhancing the overall smart home experience.
The challenge
Define the vision, strategy, design and development for a new home automation product.
The solution
An award winning suite of applications that push industry standards and delight users.
Our approach
By putting our users at the core of our analysis and design activities, we ensured that each and every requirement had a clear benefit to the user.
Placing the home at the centre of the app’s interaction, we worked closely with busy homeowners who value comfort and efficiency to deliver an engaging, intuitive application allowing users to control multiple locations, set the indoor heating temperature, and initiate a range of Quick Actions. This ensures they have the flexibility to conveniently optimise comfort and energy consumption on the go.
Mobile app
The app delivers a range of features that empowers users with full control of their home heating system from anywhere in the world.
The app allows users to manage their unique day-to-day heating needs by ensuring they have the flexibility to conveniently optimise comfort and energy consumption. Some of the features include: multiple zones, multiple locations, target temperatures, quick actions, local weather, and the ability to set and manage a heating schedule.
Google Home
After the initial success of the app, Honeywell approached Screenmedia to bring voice control to their premium smart home heating solution TCC.
In January 2017 we launched a smart home action for the Google Home, becoming the first UK company to build a Google Action for the smart speaker. With a substantial number of users within the first 24 hours of release, it was an immediate success for Honeywell and Google.
Technology
We used several technologies and a great range of integrations to underpin the success of the project.
Xamarin
Using the powerful Xamarin mobile development suite, we were able to cut the cost of developing a cross-platform solution without compromising on delivering a high quality user interface and user experience.
Azure
We used Microsoft Azure to help develop a complex integration with voice technologies, allowing us to integrate additional client APIs and deliver a robust solution.
In addition to our own experimentations with voice, we worked directly with the development team at Google to uncover best practice for developing with Google Assistant.
Pebble
Following the success of the mobile app, we developed a Pebble app to provide users with a range of heating control features including giving them a real-time view of their home heating system at a glance.
Results
The app was the first of its kind in the European Market and it was an immediate success, receiving a raft of 5-star reviews and even going on to win 3 awards for Best Mobile App. This success led us to expand the TCC Home Automation offering to smart watches and voice assistants, earning praise from both Honeywell and Google.
Client Testimonial
"Waracle brought a real creative input to the work while maintaining a focus upon usability and style issues which were very important to us. From start to finish the project management was excellent, and Waracle were flexible to fit in with our own changing priorities and needs."
Ken Skea / Product Innovation Manager at Honeywell
