Countertop to Companion | Designing a portable smart assistant that adapts to your home and habits.
To help users manage everyday tasks effortlessly through a thoughtfully designed smart assistant that blends voice, touch, and mobility into one seamless experience.
Zoey is a smart speaker and home assistance device that works both wired and wirelessly. Just leave the dock at your bedside table or your work desk, and take the speaker unit with you anywhere you want. The speaker unit has built in magnets on the back, so you can stick it on any metal surface like your refrigerator.
Whether you want to set an alarm or a timer, check the weather, or play some tunes just ask Zoey or use the on screen interface to do so. It can also be paired to any speaker you want via Bluetooth if you want a stereo system.
Context
6 Weeks
Timeline
UX Research
UI Development
Industrial Design
Role
1 Designer
Team
Figma
Fusion360
Keyshot
Tools
I wanted to design a solution that embodies the principles of ambient technology - always available, never interruptive. A product that respects the user's attention while still providing meaningful utility.
Zoey was born from this need: to create a calm, context-aware assistant that blends naturally into your environment, delivers value without demanding focus, and shifts the paradigm from device-first interaction to environment-first awareness.
Why?
ideation
Finalized layout of the speaker unit
Charging Dock Concepts
I wanted to keep the navigation of the device very simple and intuitive. I designed a main menu system that categorized all the application you a user might use into sub-sections. For example the 'Playback' selection will give you all the options you might need to play a song on the device.
A single swipe up from the bottom takes to you the main menu, allowing the user to use multiple applications on top of each other. A double swipe takes you to the home screen.
user interface
I also made a night mode for Zoey. The device has an OLED panel which allows always on screens.
Zoey automatically switches into night mode when its dark, and you can choose any screen you want displayed throughout the night like the analogue clock face.
It is a smart speaker and home assistant designed for ultimate convenience and mobility. With both wired and wireless functionality, Zoey allows users to move effortlessly between spaces without losing connection.
Its design incorporates built-in magnets on the back, allowing it to attach securely to any metal surface, from a refrigerator in the kitchen to a metal frame in the workshop. This feature enhances Zoey’s versatility, ensuring it’s always within reach and ready to assist, wherever you need it.
Meet zoey
The speaker unit is completely adjustable when it is mounted on the charging dock. It is attached to the stand with a ball and socket joint which allows it to swivel so you can adjust it to the level of your eyes.
Secondly, the main unit itself charges wirelessly when it is docked. There are magnets which snap in place when you bring the speaker near the stand, giving you a satisfying cable free experience.
Docking & Charging
The main speaker unit is where all the magic happens. A compact disk shaped unit houses all the components of the device, the mesh around the unit covers the speaker driver which gives a 360 degree sound.
The front is facing screen is protected by a curved glass that slightly enlarges the contents on the display below it, giving the visuals a certain feel.
Main Speaker Unit
The outer ring on the back panel of the speaker unit has a built in ring magnet inside of it which allows you to stick it on any metallic surface like your work desk or your refrigerator, allowing you to take the speaker anywhere you go.
I wanted to keep Zoey very minimal free of any ports or unnecessary controls. The device features a mute toggle switch painted in bright yellow, to manually mute the in-built microphones. The only other button is a reset button which you can use to reboot the device in case of a malfunction.
Both the controls are recessed into the back plate to avoid any accidental presses.
Controls
Designing Zoey was an exploration into creating technology that prioritizes user experience without compromising on aesthetics. Balancing form and function required iterative design and constant user feedback.
This project reinforced the importance of empathy in design, understanding user needs and integrating solutions seamlessly into their daily lives.
final thoughts
