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Zaiye Light Show
A shower panel designed to elevate the shower experience and enhance well-being through lighting and sound.
Overview
During my internship at Zaiye Design, I led the development of an end-to-end immersive shower experience aimed at enhancing users' well-being. This open-ended project provided an opportunity to explore bathroom products and user needs, offering valuable insights to inform an ongoing project at Zaiye.
Challenge
The prompt centered around creating an innovative bathroom experience, but the brief was intentionally broad. I had to determine which specific aspects to focus on and how best to approach the design, balancing creativity with user-centered functionality.
Research
I aimed to gather insights to better understand user needs and refine the direction of my design approach. To do this, I conducted 3 semi-structured phone interviews, focusing on key areas for enhancing the shower and overall bathroom experience. I targeted users with high-end bathrooms for their potential insight into creating a more immersive and luxurious experience. Additionally, I included an older participant with mobility challenges to better address accessibility concerns in bathroom design.
Interview Questions
1. Can you briefly introduce yourself (age, education, hometown, family, occupation)?
2. Can you describe the bathroom in your house that you bathe/shower in?
3. Can you describe your current bathing/shower schedule and routine? (including when you use it, how long you bath for, physical/wellness activities)
4. What challenges do you face when using the bathroom/ What areas would you like improvement on?
5. What are your favorite features of your bathroom?
6. Do you have concerns about safety?
7. Do you demonstrate environmental consciousness in the bathroom? Is the design of your bathroom in any way eco-friendly?
8. In what ways do you practice mental/physical wellness?
Through these, I was able to create problem statements, personas, and user journey maps. Like this one:
Key Insights
— Sophia is an executive consultant with an interior design hobby who needs better storage in her shower, self cleaning appliances, and physically soothing features because wants to be efficient, clean, and heal her body, but feels like her current bathroom is not as relaxing as it could be.
— Sathu is a middle school teacher who needs more cutting-edge smart technology products because he wants to unwind and relax in the bathroom, but his current bathroom is not as luxurious and entertaining as it could be.
Initially, I was leaning toward a sustainability-focused approach, inspired by innovative bathroom designs that recycle gray water or use timers to help reduce water consumption during showers. I was shocked by the fact that the average shower uses 2.1 gallons of water per minute. However, the insights from my interviews shifted the project's focus toward creating a more creative, enjoyable, and accessible experience, rather than solely prioritizing sustainability. It is important to prioritize the needs of the user, over my personal preferences.
Market Research
This phase of the project was the most time consuming, and I encountered some unexpected challenges. I was initially excited to explore smart technology solutions that could enhance the luxury and innovation of bathroom experiences. However, after sharing my research with the team, I learned that in China, where the design agency is based, technologies like smart mirrors are already quite common. This realization shifted my perspective, as I needed to approach the project from a cross-cultural standpoint, understanding that household technology in China is different than in the U.S. My team also emphasized that while the technologies I considered cutting-edge weren't new in China, there is always potential for improvement and opportunities to build on existing solutions.
Brainstorming Solutions
I developed "How Might We" questions to inspire direction for solutions to the users’ paint points. These questions allow me to explore potential strategies for enhancing user experience and differentiating our app in the market.
How Might We?
— How might we entertain users while sitting in the bath/showering while still providing a relaxing experience?
— How might we allow users to use their phone comfortably when in the shower/bath?
— How might we create a soothing experience for physical and mental health?
I created a few of these diagrams to help get my creative juices flowing and to narrow down a solution to aid in the users’ goals.
Solutions
I chose to focus on lighting design, along with music and sound, to create a more immersive and personalized bathroom experience. These elements not only enhance the atmosphere but also offer well-being benefits and a deeper sensory engagement. The user will also be able to access presets of lighting and sound settings which offer descriptions of mental and physical benefits. Here’s why this solution stood out:
— Lighting significantly influences the mood and ambiance of a space, allowing users to personalize their experience.
— Research shows that specific types of lighting can improve both physical and mental well-being. For example, this paper finds that green LED lighting can help to reduce the frequency of headaches: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8034831/
— Customizable lighting adds an element of fun and user control, making the bathroom experience more engaging.
— Music, like lighting, affects mood, and combining both sensory elements creates a more immersive experience.
— Synesthesia, the overlap of senses such as visualizing sound, inspired me to create a multi-sensory experience that enhances immersion.
— Many existing products already support smart lighting systems, allowing the UI to offer further personalization based on the user's physical and mental health needs. This integration ensures compatibility across multiple systems, enhancing flexibility and user control, which contributes to a more tailored, immersive experience.
Design
Information Architecture
Here is the simplified version of the information architecture. This was the most challenging part of the project for me, as I had numerous features and ideas I wanted to incorporate. However, it was essential to start with something straightforward and not get ahead of myself. There's always room to expand and add more later.
Wall Panel Digital Wireframes
I designed a wall shower panel user interface because when people in taking a shower or bath, it is difficult to use their phones while their hands are well. My goal for these wireframes was to be straightfoward and easy to use.
— Home page has a default setting that the user can set. But they are also able to edit this by selecting light colors and functions. Additionally, they are able to access their favorite presets.​
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— The timer allows me to incorporate the element of sustainability in my design. The user can set the shower duration and select the mode in which the light provides warnings before shut-off.
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​— Music page gives access to spotify songs and albums​​ taken from the users profile. They can also access white noise sounds (e.g. birds chirping) to set the mood.
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— Search page allows users to search for specific presets, while also being shown suggestions of presets that they may like
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— The Profile/Settings page allows users to change things such as what lighting and sound devices the panel is connected to, default settings, profile information, number of users in case of a multi-person household.
Phone Digital Wireframes and Prototype
The user will also be able to access this through their phone. On the app, I am able to make things a bit more complex as it is more practical to have this be where more detailed settings are set. Feel free to explore the mobile prototype here.
High Fidelity
Wall Panel
The user will be able to preview each of the light functionalities (strobe, still, flashing, etc.). I animated these elements on Figma.
Hi-fi prototypes
Explore the high-fidelity prototypes for the wall panel and mobile app.
Takeaways
This internship taught me a lot of valuable lessons:
— One of my biggest takeaways from this internship was learning how to take and implement feedback into my designs. I learned to prioritize feedback, recognizing when it was personal preference versus when it actually benefited the user.
— I also realized the importance of adapting my design approach based on what users want, while considering cultural differences during both design and research. Understanding who my client is and their cultural context is essential to ensuring they are satisfied with the final product.
— If I had been focused more on sustainability, I should have recruited users interested in that subject and tailored my interview questions accordingly. This is a valuable lesson for future projects.​
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