The concept is pretty simple. Bluetooth Low Energy iBeacons emit signals that apps on smartphones can detect. If an app senses a particular signal from a beacon "tuned" to that app, then the app can perform an action. Whether that action was a notification to the user or a simple measure of traffic, iBeacons can give both users and app administrators incredible value.
When Apple's "iBeacon" protocol first came to market, the only real hint that the tech existed was on a slide at the World Wide Developer's conference. Aside from that, Apple didn't say too much about it. So it was left to the manufacturers to promote the new beacon technology.
“Kevin Beacon” was one of the first name ideas. We actually had a wall full of potential names, but the one we kept coming back to was BKON. Once we had the name, the logo, and the product design went hand-in-hand.
We noticed that developers always wanted to hold the beacon when they were developing. They were always surprised that it was as small as it is (the size of two AA batteries.) For that reason, it needed to "fit" and feel good in someone's hand. The inspiration for earlier versions was a small river stone, the kind someone would use when . Although we didn't get to keep all of the smooth curves, we did keep the important ones.
The color palette I designed needed to be used in everything from web reports to product packaging.
They say, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” With that in mind, I organized a community meet-up to get local innovators energized about all of the opportunities with this new technology. More than a sales pitch for the BKON brand, it was a pitch for IoT tech and where beacons fit. Getting innovative technophiles jazzed about possibilities was the intent. The beer part… well, that ensured we got a good turnout.
I wrote and designed this pitch to play silently on a 15-foot wide projected screen while everyone chatted. (It ran a little slower than this during the event.)
The website had three functions. 1). It needed to inform. 2). It needed to allow someone to buy beacons and Registry SaaS access. 3). It needed to allow someone to administer their Registry account and view metrics reports. Starting with rough sketches, moving to wireframes, I handed over high fidelity comps to the developers to implement.
Coming Soon Page
This simple form allowed the team to take requests for information while the product was still in production.
The Registry Details
Lots of text, but no images. That's because it was still in production at the time. Still, it needed to be easy to read and "scannable" by those in a hurry.
The Product
The BKON A1 was the flagship product.
Ecommerce
It needed to be possible for people to buy a single beacon or thousands at a time with coupon discounts. They also needed to be able to buy access to the Registry.
Shipping & Payment
Originally built with a Foxycart back end, we later switched to Stripe. My job was to make the interface clean, easy to follow, and quick to get through.
Account Info
Once registered, all beacons needed to show battery state, refresh rate, and power level on the main page.
Other administrative information and organizational tools needed to be accessed easily.
Metrics Dashboard
At the end of the day, people are interested in performance.
