The undiscovered fruit in my UX journey, this project challenged me to work on a thermostat interface for the first time. The process began with physical context. Once I held the device in my hands and realized its true scale, the constraints became immediately clear. For the interface to succeed, accessibility had to come first. That realization ruled out ideas right away. Thin lines, airy visuals, and overly delicate UI treatments were simply not going to hold up or be usable at this size.

From there, my attention moved to what actually deserves space on the thermostat screen. With so little room, it can only carry a few elements at once, never the full system, so hierarchy and relevance became non-negotiable. I went deeper into research and tabulation as a way to step outside my own head. It helped me unpack the feeling I expected from the product and turn that into concrete adjectives, which then started to shape the visual direction. It felt like a practical way to let the design emerge, rather than forcing it.

The next challenge was working across two connected surfaces: the thermostat itself and the mobile app. I had to be intentional about what belongs where and how the experience carries across both without feeling duplicated or fragmented. I was careful not to fall into obvious “green” or eco-coded visuals. Usability testing ran throughout and was especially validating when it came to scale and proportions. The results confirmed that the adjustments improved clarity and balance. Overall, this project sharpened how I think about constraints, scale, and how early physical realities shape every design decision that follows.