The Challenge: Wireless Peak is an engineering company that builds intelligent power plugs and light switches. They know hardware and how to create devices. That is their strength. Web development, on the other hand, is not their forte so building a web application that would compliment their hardware product and allow users to control their devices would be a challenge. The hardware nerds needed some software nerds.
The Solution: Unlike in physics where like repels like… nerds are attracted to other nerds. That is why we geeked out at having a chance to work with some hardware nerds. In co-creating with our nerd counterparts we refined the system architecture of the dashboard so that it meet the functional requirements needed by users and by the devices.
Build It…
Our nerds worked with their hardware counterparts to identify two main jobs the dashboard needed to accomplish. The dashboard needed to be a clean and modern looking user interface (UI) between users and devices, and it also needed to efficiently and in a scalable way control hardware, the smart switches and plugs. More specifically, we needed to build a dashboard that would allow users to view the status of individual devices, track total electricity usage in real-time, and control individual smart plugs and switches.Core front-end functionality was built using HTML, CSS, and Javascript. Responsive web design was used so the dashboard would be aesthetically pleasing and usable from a desktop, tablet, or mobile phone. The back-end was built using a MongoDB and node.js stack. A variety of open source frameworks were used to provide secure login, templating, and api features.
Share It…
They are still in “stealth mode” and are not ready to market the product. At the appropriate point we would recommend adding a sing-up form so people who are interested in keeping up to date on the latest news can sign up. Sing-ups would also be potential customer that can later be marketed to. Also, a pre-order form would be a great way to start building excitement around a product launch. And lastly, a video showing how the product would be used would help people imaging themselves owning and using the product. Beyond that, our branding and marketing consultants could help identify target markets, marketing mix, and messaging.