Kasper Global
2021-2025
Kasper Home Automation
Making smart home controls and automation easier to use
Overview
Translating Complex IoT Capabilities Into Everyday Interactions
Kasper Home Automation is an IoT ecosystem that connects smart devices, automation, and environmental monitoring through a unified mobile and tablet application for residential and commercial tenants.
As Lead UX Engineer, I worked within an existing developer-built interface to refine layouts, improve consistency, and adapt the experience across screen sizes. I also conceptualized and designed modules based on hardware capabilities, working closely with developers throughout implementation to ensure each module aligned with the intended designs.
Challenge
Balancing Engineering Complexity with Everyday Usability
Kasper's extensive hardware capabilities introduced a growing range of features, from device controls and automation to environmental monitoring and analytics. However, these capabilities were developed without sufficient validation of what tenants actually needed, resulting in an increasingly complex experience that was difficult to navigate and understand.
The challenge was to bring structure, consistency, and usability to an already established interface while accommodating evolving technical requirements. With limited flexibility to rethink the product's direction, I focused on making each module as practical as possible while advocating for a simpler, MVP-first approach driven by real user feedback.
Discovery
Exploring What the System Could Sense and Control
Before designing each module, I worked with engineers to understand Kasper's connected hardware, sensor capabilities, and system behavior. This helped identify how device controls, automation, and data from temperature, humidity, occupancy, lighting, and power sensors could be represented within the application.
These technical insights shaped the functionality and interface requirements for each module. However, with limited direct input from prospective tenants, the process also revealed the challenge of designing around technical possibilities rather than validated user needs.
Exploring Beyond Device Control
Alongside the existing modules, I independently explored preventative maintenance and potential applications of Kasper's sensor data. This involved investigating appliance diagnostics, possible user challenges, environmental indicators, and scenarios where the system could provide more meaningful insights.
Although these concepts remained exploratory and were not validated with users, the process helped me examine opportunities beyond basic automation and identify questions that would need further investigation before development.
Design Execution
From Interface Refinement to Implementation
Working within an existing developer-built interface, I refined typography, spacing, layouts, and component consistency while adapting the designs for mobile and tablet screens. These improvements helped establish a more structured visual foundation without departing from the existing design direction.
I designed and extended modules for device controls, modes, presets, and environmental, occupancy, and power analytics, organizing complex functionality and sensor information within the established interface.
Rather than ending at design handoff, I worked directly with developers throughout implementation, reviewing each module against its Figma designs, testing interactions, and addressing inconsistencies to maintain design fidelity across the application.
Area-based controls, modes, presets, and quick actions.
Reflection
Building More Doesn't Always Mean Building Better
Working on Kasper reinforced an important lesson: technical innovation doesn't automatically translate into a meaningful user experience. Despite the system's extensive capabilities and the effort invested in its development, the absence of real user validation made it difficult to determine whether we were solving the right problems.
Throughout the project, I advocated for a simpler, MVP-first approach that prioritized essential functionality, early user feedback, and gradual feature expansion. This experience strengthened my perspective on product design: understanding what users genuinely need is just as important as knowing what technology can achieve.
