Background

ULANI is a newly created brand within the company, with the aim of promoting electronic paper and creating more products with electronic paper applications. The Eternal Calendar is the first product that was born, which is the world’s first electronic paper desk calendar. It provides a variety of theme options for users to freely choose their daily desk calendar theme, and it can synchronize with the user’s mobile calendar to display on the desk calendar. This replaces the traditional paper desk calendar with a more intelligent, convenient, and ritualistic alternative.

Product Story

Traditional desk calendars have evolved from paper to digital calendars on our smartphones. The e-paper desk calendar was created to offer a low-power alternative that takes advantage of the static nature of the display when not in use. The feature of flipping pages daily is perfect for a monthly calendar, and the product also includes various themes that can be switched daily to showcase one’s mood and enhance daily rituals. However, for users, the primary function of a calendar is to help them complete their daily events and schedule their time. The ability to sync with their phone’s schedule is essential. As a result, the product combines traditional features with digital capabilities, making it a unique and attractive option.

Research ＆ Analysis

Before developing the second generation of the product, we collected market research surveys and user feedback on the first generation product for analysis. We re-examined and adjusted the business model based on these findings. The following are some of the analysis results:

Strategy

1.The primary core goal of the product is to help people increase their sense of ritual and manage every day.

2.Three types of overall product improvement in sensation (visual, auditory, tactile).

3.Five core features of the product: time management, event management, personal style, message board, and photo album.

Before & After

Through user testing, we identified pain points in the user experience. The “Before” design represents the original design, and the “After” design shows how we addressed those issues.

1.Not knowing how to play the theme on the device and unclear about the relationship between the app and the device.

2.Not sure how to change themes, unclear about the relationship between the app and the device.Unclear about how to go back and update the screen, unclear about the meaning of numbers and images.

Wireframe

1.Based on the business objectives, quickly draw iterative wireframes to analyze whether they can solve problems or provide the best solution. The following are some draft versions:

2.Using wireflows to facilitate cross-department communication：

Design System

Improving on the style of the previous generation, we aim to enhance the sophistication of the design.

Design ＆ Prototype

1.Select visitor mode or register/login.

2.Guide users to connect their device and grant necessary permissions. The system automatically detects the device and initiates the Wi-Fi setup process. The following is the Wi-Fi setup flow for the second-generation device：

3.The process of changing themes and the relationship between the app and the device are as follows:

4.Browsing and purchasing themes in the store; Adding and deleting screens on the device; Configuring personal information, all devices, and updates.

ULANI

📍 Go to the official website https://www.zeczec.com/projects/ulani

🛒 Eslite online shop https://www.eslite.com/product/1005499082682311952001

Design Reflection

As a product designer in the project, I gained experience in software and hardware integration, from defining the business model to delivering the final product. Through cross-departmental communication, I learned about the limitations of different fields and worked with the design team to find better solutions. While it’s impossible to determine whether every design decision is the best, we considered factors such as time, resources, and costs to arrive at the best possible solution. We continually learn from our experiences and strive to get closer to delivering a product that meets the needs of our users.