an app for iot security devices
Company: Neos (now Sky Protect)
Role: Senior UX/UI Designer
Team: Product Manager, Developers, Hardware Designer, Commercial Managers.
Project: App design to add and control smart-home devices to sense and view activity.
Methods: Competitor research, design workshops, UX wireframes, user testing (with digital and physical prototypes), high res UI design, beta testing and release.
Devices: Neos Leak Sensor, Neos Smart Motion Kit
OveRview
Neos is a smart-home security platform enabling users to install, manage, and monitor connected devices within their home. My role focused on leading the end-to-end UX and UI design for onboarding new devices and enabling users to confidently view activity, manage settings, and understand their home environment.
Discovery & Alignment Workshops
Working closely with commercial managers during the initial research phase, I facilitated a series of workshops to understand device constraints, installation requirements, and real-world usage. These sessions focused on how the hardware, software, and business goals intersected within the app experience.
The outcome was a shared understanding of the technology and a comprehensive set of user stories, which became the benchmark against which all design decisions were measured.
Early ux and wireframes
IUsing insights from the workshops, I created an initial end-to-end user journey and low-fidelity wireframes. These were reviewed collaboratively with development and commercial teams to challenge assumptions, identify edge cases, and deepen the solution.
I intentionally presented wireframes together to encourage discussion around flow, hierarchy, and trade-offs, rather than isolated screen-by-screen feedback.
Prototyping and User testing
Once we aligned on the journey and confirmed it met both user and business requirements, I built an interactive prototype and designed a structured testing plan.
User testing focused on:
New users onboarding for the first time
Existing Neos customers familiar with the app
Testing journey included:
Unboxing and installing three physical devices
Connecting devices using printed instructions
Navigating settings and monitoring activity within the app
Testing details:
5 moderated user interviews
30–40 minute sessions
Digital prototype (InVision mobile app)
3D-printed device models
£25 Amazon voucher incentive
Playback And Insight
Following testing, I led playback sessions with the wider product team. Each participant’s feedback was captured on colour-coded post-its and mapped directly to the relevant screens and steps in the journey.
This approach made patterns and pain points immediately visible, allowing the team to quickly prioritise fixes and improvements across the experience.
Iteration and final design
Based on user insights, I refined the user journey and updated the UI to remove friction and improve clarity across installation, device management, and monitoring flows.
The final designs were handed over to development, followed by Alpha and Beta testing phases to validate changes at scale.
Results and impact
Beta testing outcomes:
Strongly positive feedback, confirming readiness for release
Post-launch results:
⭐ 4.5-star reviews on Amazon.co.uk
⭐ 4.5-star App Store rating, improving from 3.5 following UX enhancements
Bulk acquisition by third-party sellers (including American Family) for a white-labelled product
Marketing and launch
Following release, the Neos marketing team partnered with a production company to create product videos demonstrating real-world use cases for the devices, supporting adoption and customer education.