EchoChat
Ecochat is an ai-powered voice assistant integrated with ecobee smart thermostats for seamless, hands-free home comfort and energy management.
Problem Statement:
How might we integrate an AI-powered voice assistant with Ecobee smart thermostats to enable users to control their home comfort and energy efficiency through natural language and predictive intelligence, driving higher engagement and satisfaction?
Problem Background:With the rise of smart home technology, users are increasingly managing their home environment through various smart devices, including thermostats, security systems, and lighting. However, despite the convenience of these devices, homeowners are facing a few significant challenges such as; Complexity of Managing Multiple Devices, Lack of Personalization, Energy Wastage and High Utility Bills and Limited Smart Interactions
User Pain Points:
Through a survey of 7 eco-conscious homeowners, along with additional user research on platforms like WhatsApp groups, we identified several key categories of users who would most benefit from a voice-activated system. We learned that:
- Many users want more automation and less manual intervention with their smart thermostats.
- Users have expressed frustration with the need to rely on third-party assistants (e.g., Alexa or Google Assistant) that are not fully integrated into the Ecobee ecosystem.
- Homeowners are increasingly focused on energy savings and want smarter systems that proactively help with that.
Supporting Data:
85% of the homeowners we surveyed were dissatisfied with their current voice assistant solutions, stating they were either difficult to integrate or didn’t offer personalized, proactive energy-saving suggestions.
- Feedback:
Our preliminary user research, specifically targeting homeowners, confirmed that integrating a self-contained voice assistant would significantly improve user experience, increase engagement, and help users save on energy costs.
Solution
Based on user pain points, we knew we wanted to focus on creating a voice assistant that:
Seamlessly integrates with Ecobee thermostats and other smart devices.
Uses predictive AI to automate home temperature settings and energy-saving features.
Provides proactive recommendations for energy savings based on user behavior and external factors like weather.
Explanation of Solution:After showcasing our prototype to users, we learned that they valued personalization and convenience. Users appreciated the intuitive voice commands and liked that EcoChat was self-integrated, allowing them to avoid the reliance on third-party assistants. They also wanted more actionable insights regarding their energy usage.
USER FLOWS/MOCKUPS
Bolt AI link to my prototype
Learnings
Through speaking to customers, we learned that personalized automation features (like geofencing and energy-saving suggestions) are highly valued.
Some potential additional features to address include expanding integrations with other smart home devices (e.g., lights, security systems) and improving the natural language processing (NLP) to handle more complex user queries.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
prisca Olumoya
Co.Lab was a very interesting experience for me. I learned how important it is to truly understand customer pain points before building a solution. User feedback, especially during prototype testing, was invaluable in refining EcoChat to better meet user expectations.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.