Grundig Heat Pump

End-to-End Product Design

Situation

As global energy resources continue to decrease and the world faces an increasing climate crisis, sustainability has become an important focus for developing new solutions. As a company that values sustainability, Grundig aims to contribute to this shift through innovative home energy solutions. The Heat Pump, part of Grundig Home Energy Solutions, combines with an all-in-one inverter to create a compact system that converts, stores, and uses solar energy.

Task

To provide access to the home energy solution’s features, I developed an interactive device screen and a mobile app, designed around user needs so that controlling and monitoring home and water temperature would feel effortless and intuitive. Users can interact with the product seamlessly, whether through the physical touchscreen or remotely via the app, creating a connected, user-centred experience across both touchpoints.

Result

Users began choosing the Heat Pump over traditional heating and cooling methods, drawn to the sustainability of combining both products into a single, more efficient system. Usability testing with 25 participants from a range of ages and professional backgrounds also showed an 84% success rate, with 21 participants finding both the mobile app’s flow and interface and the physical product’s touchscreen very easy to use — including older users, who were able to carry out their intended actions with ease — while 3 experienced some confusion in specific areas and 1 was unable to complete certain tasks.

Responsibilities

UX Research

Benchmarking

Workshop Facilitation

Wireframing

Design Development

Prototyping

MVP Iteration & Expansion Based on User Feedback

Duration

Up to 24 Months

Project Team

Mobile/Product UX/UI Design

Ceren Çalışkan Türel

Graphic Design

Duygu Turancı

Product Design

Denizhan Arda, Sinan Anayurt

Heat Pump — Award Winner

Project Gallery

Unified HomeWhiz Ecosystem

I designed The HomeWhiz app and the physical product’s touchscreen interface in tandem to create a unified experience across both touchpoints. Taking a holistic approach, I consider user behaviours and insights throughout the design process.

I developed based on these findings, simple, elegant, and user-friendly interfaces. Users can easily access and control the full range of programmes and functions directly through the touchscreen interface.

UX Workshop

I collaborated with the product team and engineers to explore how people interact with a heat pump across both physical and digital touchpoints. Through collaborative workshops, we identified user needs, pain points, and key interaction scenarios to define a seamless experience across the physical device interface and mobile app.

The insights from these sessions shaped the interaction model and helped establish a consistent experience across the device and app—from controlling the heat pump directly on the device to monitoring and managing it remotely through the mobile app.

Design Language

My primary goal was to create a sustainable, user-friendly product with a minimal design language that could be easily understood by users of all ages. Informed by in-depth user research and competitor analysis, I created a simple and intuitive control system that reduces complexity and makes temperature control effortless across both the physical device and mobile app.

While staying true to Grundig’s corporate identity, the product establishes its own distinct visual language. I designed the HomeWhiz interface in accordance with its own design system, while the physical device interface followed Grundig’s corporate design language. This allowed each touchpoint to maintain its own visual and design standards while providing users with a cohesive experience across the ecosystem.

Tailored Product UX/UI Design

The physical interface translates user insights into a lean and elegant experience. Icons directly reflect specific modes and functions, while an intuitive temperature control system makes operation simple and effortless.

Through bidirectional communication between the device and the app, users can seamlessly access, adjust, and customise all functions either through the touchscreen display or remotely via the HomeWhiz app.

Features

The controller and mobile app provide a range of features designed to make users’ daily lives easier and more comfortable. A lean and intuitive design helps reduce complexity while keeping key functions easily accessible. On the main screen, users can view the temperature, operating mode, and other key functions, as well as adjust them quickly and easily. Users can also switch seamlessly between ambient heating and domestic hot water (DHW) modes.

The highly responsive touchscreen allows users to navigate through features and operating modes with simple up-and-down gestures, while arrow controls provide an alternative way to navigate. One of the key features is the Rule function, which allows users to schedule temperatures, operating modes, and other functions based on time and location. This enables the system to automatically adapt to users’ routines, even when they are away from home.

Dr. Ceren Çalışkan Türel