What lockscreen shortcut placements make for a more premium user experience?

  • Client: Large technology company with software and hardware offerings

  • Responsibilities: UX Research

  • Team: Self (UXR), 1PM, 1 Presentation Designer

  • Topics: Lockscreen shortcuts

  • Methods: Qualitative In-depth Interviews (IDIs) (n = 50 UK participants across 7 device types and two levels of device premiumness)

Context

The client team came to us looking for a comprehensive understanding of what lockscreen shortcuts participants preferred for which apps and why.

Commentary

In this study, I had the opportunity to capture rich gestural and physical data, not just UI feedback. I focused on highlighting the impact of prior experience, perceived device premiumness and accessibility concerns on shortcut assignment, and mapped a list of recommended shortcuts-to-apps.

I also developed a framework for extending future lockscreen assignments, with an eye towards extensibility (since one of the underlying assumptions was that lockscreen shortcuts would likely be expanded over time). This was a rewarding study, since it had a concrete impact on the way that the client interfaced with OEM manufacturers and fed into device guidelines for lockscreen shortcut assignments.

Redacted sample deck excerpts available upon request.