12. Developing and Improving User Experiences

A holistic way to think about IoT is things, people, interactions, and outcomes. Often we get mired in the technology, but success requires us to look beyond the technology and applications [1]. Superlative success in building IoT-based businesses requires a strong focus on experiences and outcomes. IoT is significantly increasing the interaction users are having with devices and applications, often for much longer durations than ever before; this is driving user experience (UX) to gain new grounds. There are a few elements which are impacting UX more than ever—miniaturization of devices and displays, a deluge of data, shortening attention spans, interoperability between engagement platforms, increasing expectations of personalization, and the need for quick high impact. These factors create an interdependent tension in designing products as well as user experience. Everybody talks about how simplicity should drive design, but there is little guidance on how to bundle elegance, simplicity, and sophistication into designing user experiences, especially for IoT devices and applications. This chapter helps you with that.