Designed by: LUNAR / McKinsey Design and ecobee
Photo & Video Credit: LUNAR / McKinsey Design and ecobee
Project Involvement: From whiteboard to store shelves, 8 months 2015/2016

After the successful launch of the ecobee3, LUNAR was asked to support ecobee with the development of the ecobee3 lite for a 2016 launch. The aim was to provide a smart thermostat for those with smaller homes or apartments that wouldn’t need the functionalities of humidifiers, dehumidifiers, or ventilators.

Ease of use, stunning design, interoperability and category-leading savings continued to be top priorities while developing ecobee3 lite, at the best price-point on the market.

The design of the ecobee3 lite allowed us to revisit each design detail. Without the front sensor we were able to incorporate an uninterrupted glass screen to provide the ultimate touchscreen experience. Besides the exterior we ensured that the install features that you would only see once provided even better usability and aesthetic delight.

Easier to install

I designed several concepts to create a better physical and visual integration of the terminal blocks into the backplate and provided more space to maneuver the wires.

The continuous improvement of the design and usability of the ecobee3, the ecobee3 lite and iterations thereafter ensured that 75% of users now installs their thermostat themselves, a complete shift from ecobee’s Smart Si products that were primarily professionally installed.

“Installing this product was super easy. The ecobee practically set itself up and was working within minutes of install.”

By Michelle W. in the United States on December 5, 2020

Team

Industrial Design—Charlie Nghiem, Isamu Taguchi, Marcelle van Beusekom
Mechanical Engineering—Patrick Summers
Project Management—Sona Patadia-Rao
Business Development—Jeff Salazar