GETEC.
Redesigning a smart heating app around the people who install it.
GETEC, a leader in smart heating systems, was on a mission to revolutionise its app for installing and supporting remote smart heating systems. We overhauled an outdated version, tailoring the design and functionality to a new primary user, the installers, and simplified the interface so they could manage Dimplex hubs, storage heaters and appliance control with far less friction.
Sectors
Expertise
Solutions
Background.
An app rebuilt feature by feature, and tested by the people who'd use it.
Testing with real installers to find what needed fixing.
We ran a remote usability test with six users, all GETEC Green Heating installers, using a prototyped version of the app. Their tasks included testing and releasing a Dimplex Hub, identifying issues, managing zones and interacting with appliances, in sessions lasting 10 to 15 minutes that focused on flow, clarity of instructions and task completion. Feedback was largely positive, with users praising the app's simplicity and ease of navigation, though testing also surfaced flow interruptions, difficulty identifying interactive elements, misread wording, and the absence of a 'Move All' function in zone settings, all of which informed further updates.
The Solution.
Making thousands of properties searchable in seconds.
GETEC's app lets users quickly find and manage thousands of different properties through an enhanced hub list and search function, with the ability to filter, search and sort by criteria like date or QR code. Testing showed this performed well, with installers appreciating how easily they could access and manage specific hubs. One participant noted how much time it saved during an otherwise lengthy installation process, and QR scanning in particular reduced errors by allowing immediate recognition and action.
Turning testing and release into a single tap.
The app's testing functionality lets installers test the system, identify faulty components and release products to the central support system with a single tap. This 'no stress, no guessing' approach was well received in testing: installers found it intuitive and efficient, significantly cutting the time spent troubleshooting. As one tester put it, 'It's easy to locate the faulty item, and when everything is working correctly, releasing it to the central system takes no effort at all.'
Let's work together
Let's partner to create brand, product, and experience solutions that move people and markets.
Building a smart helper that prompts the next step.
The app's smart helper guides users through installation by prompting actions based on the current scenario, for example, suggesting a zone be deleted once a room is emptied of all its products. Users cited this as a key reason the app felt easy to use. One user said, 'I liked that if the zone doesn't have appliances, it asks me if I want to delete it automatically, such a simple but effective feature that saved time.' The result is context-aware assistance that keeps users supported throughout the journey, automating common tasks and reducing the likelihood of errors.
The impact.
A more user-friendly, efficient app, with the next updates already under way.
The collaboration between WMP and GETEC has resulted in a more user-friendly, efficient app built directly around the needs of smart heating installers, from intuitive hub search to effortless testing tools and a smart helper that guides users through installation. The testing phase highlighted several opportunities for refinement, many of which have already been addressed in later updates, leaving GETEC well placed to offer a seamless installation and support experience going forward.
