ecobee
ecobee is a leader in smart home connect products, helping consumers conserve energy and improve comfort. As a proud partner of ecobee for many years, Tactile collaborated with the Toronto-based start-up to refine their ecosystem of smart, eco-friendly, home monitoring product. ecobee’s unique “squircle” design language used in combination with
simple UI adds warmth and approachability to what is typically a highly technical product, bridging the gap from complicated tech to simple everyday tools. Retaining this look and feel for ecobee’s current and future products was one of our main objectives. The Smart Thermostat Premium was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions in 2022.
Next Generation
Tactile most recently collaborated on the ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium, a temperature and humidity monitoring device that transforms the category with advancements to help take care of your comfort, home health, and security needs. Thoughtfully designed features bring you comfort at home and control from anywhere. The newest thermostat was designed to evoke a sense of
harmony and balance. The design team set out to update and evolve the design language while incorporating ecobee’s environmental considerations and new technologies. Through a rigorous combination of sketching, CAD, rendering, CNC models, 3D printing, user research, and CMF explorations, the team developed a thoughtful design and timeless aesthetic.
Comprehensive Comfort
Unique to the Smart Thermostat Premium, the newly integrated radar occupancy sensor and an indoor air quality monitor maximizes comfort without requiring multiple devices. It retains the built-in smart speaker capabilities (choose between Siri or Alexa) and still functions as a hub for ecobee’s smart security system. A notable feature upgrade of Smart Thermostat
Premium is a larger screen than ecobee’s previous models—the color LCD touchscreen is a 50% larger, 4-inch offset-squircle. Industrial design and UX blend perfectly with the cooling/heating loop offset-inward from the softened edges of the glass. The larger screen is easier to use with the controls more spread out, making it easier to select correctly.
A Smart Vision of the Home
ecobee’s SmartCamera with voice control is another recent collaboration that offers cohesive home monitoring with 1080p resolution, 180-degree field of view, motion and person detection, night mode, integration with any smart home ecosystem, and the ability to view its livestream from anywhere via the ecobee mobile app. Key design elements the design team addressed: evolving the squircle form language, creating an approachable form, designing for manufacturability, and a multi-functional magnetic base. Its magnetic conical base can either be placed
on a surface or be zipped to the wall with a single screw. The SmartCamera’s versatile design blends into your home, but when needed, makes itself known with lights and sirens. When mounted on the wall, the built-in back gimbal, allows for an additional degree of freedom. For example, this allows you to aim the camera up or down a hallway. While many cameras use a ball-and-socket connection, the SmartCamera has the advantage of always keeping the view vertical and won’t get twisted diagonally relative to its base.
Intelligent Monitoring
Starting from scratch, our aim was to develop a camera that is intuitive from installation to everyday use. First, we optimized the internal tech with the goal of making the overall device smaller and less intrusive in your space. Then, through a rigorous combination of sketching, CAD, rendering, 3D-printing and user-research, we ensured a thoughtful design that we’re extremely proud of. ecobee’s patented Smart Focus allows the SmartCamera to recognize when a person enters the frame and adjusts to keep them front and
center as they move. From a wall to a shelf or table, the SmartCamera moves with you. Unlike other DIY security systems, the SmartCamera is the hub for ecobee’s home monitoring system, you don’t need a tower and a numeric code—it knows when you are home and turns off automatically. The SmartCamera can be used as a standalone product or can work harmoniously with ecobee’s SmartSensor for doors and windows.
Open and Close
ecobee’s SmartSensor for doors and windows detects door and window activity and occupancy for peace of mind. These blend into your space in a variety of
locations from doors to windows and communicate seamlessly with the home monitoring system. Their size and shape were built with you and yours in mind.
All in the Family
Our longstanding relationship with ecobee has allowed us to apply key design features across ecobee’s family of home monitoring system products. Whether used as standalone products or as part of
ecobee’s home monitoring system bundles, the products to live harmoniously in any environment while helping build a more sustainable world.
