Home Thermostat
Siemens stands for excellence, innovation, and responsibility
GRO has collaborated with Siemens for several years on a variety of design projects. In Spring 2020 we embarked on a highly ambitious ‘portfolio harmonization and future user experience’ commission that set out to transform the entire Siemens room-sensor range, a portfolio of over 80 products.
The Connected Home Thermostat is one of the first harmonized products to be launched. A highly innovative wireless product that can either be wall-mounted or operate free-standing in a room. Powered by two standard AA batteries, it offers intuitive touch interaction and a design to stand the test of time. The design identity is truly versatile, extending across a wide portfolio of product solutions and navigation principles.
Seismic shifts in user expectations and connectivity
The commission began with a series of workshops to understand what drives specific users – from installers and architects to regional customers and markets, from first-time users to experienced and advanced users – and to anticipate their future needs and expectations.
30% of global energy is used to condition commercial and residential spaces. To reduce energy consumption both at work and at home, it is vital to encourage more responsible behaviour. And it is the responsibility of manufacturers to provide more intelligent and easier-to-use product solutions that better anticipate and respond to climatic variations and shifting user lifestyles.
Quality means driving consistency at every level of development
Simplicity and consistency at every level matter. Through dialog we supported the shift in focus from product to context, from technology to user experience – at the same time delivering cost-effective design solutions that are cheaper to produce at a more consistent and higher production quality.
Design solutions that are easy to install, use and service
Crucial to delivering the harmonized design identity was the long-term collaboration with Siemens product development and engineering teams to establish uniform design, material, and production parameters. Through this team approach we developed strategies to reduce the size of each product, while accommodating future component space requirements, regional installation restrictions, airflow sensors and discreet cooling requirements.
The most ecological energy is the energy we do not consume
The design focus is to support and educate users to dial down, to use less energy while optimizing daily room conditioning requirements. There is an opportunity to make significant savings, both in energy consumption and money spent.
The product solution seamlessly connects to the home ecosystem. It is controlled through ZigBee 3.0, a wireless mesh network, and a dedicated app. At the touch of a button, installation and wireless hub pairing are completed in a few seconds.
