MirAIe by Panasonic

Introduction

Miraie is Panasonic’s IoT platform for controlling home appliances, integrating with Panasonic and Matter-enabled products for a smart home.

As a real user of the Miraie app, I began my journey with a Panasonic water heater. I had high hopes, as Panasonic is known for great user experience.

Being a user instead of just a designer provided insights that shaped the app’s redesign, helping me connect with the user experience.

Challenge

Users face fragmented device management, complex navigation, and insufficient real-time energy monitoring, requiring a streamlined app experience that simplifies control, enhances automation, and provides actionable energy insights.

Problem in Current Design

The UI has several usability issues that could confuse users and make interactions less intuitive. Improving clarity in labels, providing feedback mechanisms, enhancing accessibility features (like contrast and text size), and refining visual hierarchy will greatly enhance both UX and UI for this IoT app interface.

Desired Outcome

The wireframe should simplify device setup, provide energy monitoring, and enable automation routines. The interface must be clean to improve navigation. Accessibility features like voice control should be included. Quick access to troubleshooting tools will enhance user experience, prioritising seamless integration of devices for efficient automation.

Research

As both a user and designer of the Panasonic Miraie app, I’ve spent time reflecting on my own experience with the app, along with the detailed research and feedback from other users.

This has helped me pinpoint some major pain points, like the lack of real-time energy monitoring, complicated device setups, slow response times, and a cluttered interface.

As a user, I know how frustrating it can be to manage multiple devices or set up automated routines that don’t always work as expected.

To get a better understanding of how other apps handle these issues, I checked out platforms like Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Haier’s SmartHQ. Each of these apps gave me some useful insights into how they approach device integration, automation, and user experience.

For example, Apple HomeKit is great for automation with its clean interface and smooth voice control via Siri. Haier’s SmartHQ offers intuitive appliance control with real-time notifications and features like auto-replenishment.

On the other hand, Google Home struggles with slow response times and a cluttered navigation system — something I definitely want to avoid.

With all this in mind, I’m planning to simplify the device setup process in Miraie by making it more intuitive and guiding users through fewer steps.

I’ll also integrate real-time energy monitoring so users can see live data and better manage their energy consumption.

The UI will be cleaned up to focus on frequently used features like device control and automation. Plus, I’ll make sure that automation settings work reliably without resetting after just one use.

By combining my personal experience as a user with what I’ve learned from competitor analysis, I’m confident I can design a solution that not only fixes the current pain points but also improves the overall user experience of the Panasonic Miraie app.

User Information

1. App targets tech-savvy users and families wanting smart home solutions.

2. 75% of consumers want IoT and AI solutions for convenience and safety.

3. Over 50% of users will adopt IoT-enabled products soon.

4. Users seek smart diagnostics, custom settings, and seamless integration.

5. Users report challenges with the app’s interface and device control.

6. Users engage with the app for real-time appliance management.

7. The app is not intuitive, users want better design and more options.

8. The app is not accessible for users with disabilities.

User Behaviour Information

1. Users use the app 4 to 5 times daily to control devices.

2. Consumers use customisable settings and diagnostics.

3. Users use voice commands via Google Assistant and Alexa.

4. Users track energy use but struggle with real-time data.

5. High engagement with features like custom sleep modes for ACs.

6. Users control Panasonic devices from one platform.

7. Users utilise the app’s diagnostics tool to identify performance issues.

8. Users with disabilities struggle to navigate the app.

User Feedbacks

“Able to control multiple Panasonic appliances from a single app.”

“Annoyed by the absence of real-time monitoring for energy consumption.”

“A growing need for detailed control over device settings, especially regarding air conditioning.”

“The app’s UI is considered cluttered and difficult to navigate.”

“Issues arise when trying to set up repeating timers, as the schedules frequently reset after just a single use.”

Pain Points

1. Integration issues: Users may face difficulties integrating the MirAIe app with other smart home platforms like Google Home or Amazon Alexa.

2. Connectivity problems: Some users report that the app sometimes fails to connect to or control their devices reliably.

3. User interface: The app’s interface might not be intuitive for all users, especially those new to smart home technology.

4. Feature limitations: Some users might find the app lacking in advanced features or customisation options.

5. Inconsistent performance: Users may experience intermittent issues with device control or responsiveness.

User Persona

Design Process

The process which I follow to work is very simple and more inclined towards minimising the bridge between humans and digital device. I focus on working for building solutions. And the steps that take me to the solutions are mentioned below:

Main User Flow

Users start by checking your energy consumption, pick an appliance category, add devices, pair them to rooms, and get insights on how they’re performing. You can also manage everything from a dashboard while tweaking your profile and settings as needed!

Transformations

The redesign of the Miraie app focuses on enhancing usability and information clarity. The left screen, which primarily highlights room-specific controls like the Smart Water Heater, has been transformed into a more comprehensive energy management dashboard on the right.

The new design emphasizes energy consumption tracking with a clear gauge, providing users with immediate feedback on their usage (860kWh) and cost (₹6,020). Navigation is streamlined through a bottom bar, and users can now easily toggle between daily, weekly, and monthly views for detailed energy insights.

Additionally, an appliance management section with icons for quick access to devices like the Water Heater and Fridge has been introduced, along with a subtle weather widget for contextual awareness. This transformation shifts the focus from individual device control to a broader, more intuitive home energy overview.

Lo-Fi Wireframes

I used Lo-Fi wireframes to conceptualise various layouts and functionalities. Each wireframe focuses on different aspects of user interaction and content display.

These wireframes help streamline the design process by offering clear visual hierarchies and interaction flows for different sections of the app.

Hi-Fi Wireframes

Creating high-fidelity wireframes to improve user experience and interface clarity. The new design focuses on simplifying the navigation and enhancing the control of smart home devices.

The home screen gives a clear overview of energy consumption, while the list of devices allows users to easily monitor and control individual appliances like water heaters.

Device insights provide detailed stats, and the setup process is straightforward with easy pairing options.

The control center breaks down energy usage, and the room management feature lets users organise and control devices by room.

Clean, intuitive, and user-friendly!

Typography & Colors

The vibrant colors — green, purple, pink, blue and orange — are not only visually appealing but also serve functional purposes.

Green in the energy consumption gauge represents eco-friendliness and efficiency, while transitioning to red signals higher energy usage, offering an intuitive understanding of consumption levels.

The icons for appliances use distinct colors (purple for the water heater, pink for the fridge, blue for the AC & orange for the TV) to create clear visual differentiation, making navigation easier and more engaging.

These colors evoke emotions of luxury, fun, trust, and warmth, aligning with the app’s smart home theme.

The typography is clean and minimalistic, with larger font sizes and better contrast against the white background.

This improves readability and accessibility, ensuring that users can quickly scan important information like energy consumption or appliance controls.

The combination of vibrant colors and clear typography establishes a modern and user-friendly interface that enhances both functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Logo

My goal was to create a visual identity that reflects the core values of simplicity, connectivity, and smart living.

I started with a minimalist approach, using two rounded shapes to form an abstract “M” and “I,” symbolising the app’s name and its role in integrating multiple devices seamlessly.

The smooth curves represent the fluidity of automation, while the symmetry conveys balance and harmony between connected devices.

I intentionally used negative space to subtly reference IoT, highlighting how the app connects various smart home appliances effortlessly. The monochromatic color palette was chosen to emphasise clarity and ease of use, aligning with the app’s intuitive interface.

Overall, this design embodies Miraie’s mission of providing a seamless, future-ready smart home experience.

Design Screen Analysis

This section covers in depth about all the screens one by one, my decisions about choosing elements and to take you through all the design decisions.

Learnings

Every project is different from each other, and the good part is that every project teaches me something new. The same happened with this project on IoT for Miraie by Panasonic. My main learning from this project was time management. Given a tight timeline of 14 days, it became crucial to plan every hour to ensure high-quality work while minimising stress.

I allocated the first 6 days to research and exploration. This phase included trying different platforms, conducting usability testing, and organising the insights gathered from users during testing.

It was important to understand the user’s needs and how they would interact with IoT devices like water heaters, smart mirrors, and other appliances.

The remaining 8 days were dedicated to wire-framing, interface design, prototyping, and documentation. I worked around 4–5 hours daily to ensure each step was completed methodically. Although I managed to complete everything within the given time frame, I realised that if I had planned more precisely from the start, I could have finished in around 12–12.5 days. This would have allowed me extra time to review my designs thoroughly and refine them further.

In retrospect, I am satisfied with the final outcome, but as a designer, I believe there is always room for improvement. Even when a solution feels satisfactory, revisiting it with a fresh perspective can often lead to better refinements.

That’s it from my side. I hope you like the overall presentation and find it useful.