Sharp
The aim of this project is to enhance the existing Sharp Clocks website by integrating e-commerce functionality, implementing a SaaS solution, and introducing an innovative feature.
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Responsibilities
End-to-end design process
User research & interviews
Information architecture
Visual design & prototyping
Usability testing with 6 students
Tools Used
Figma
Miro
ChatGPT
Claude
Photoshop
Overview
Sharp sells digital alarm clocks primarily through Amazon and Target, where customers frequently struggle with setup and troubleshooting. While the team redesigned the e-commerce site, I focused on solving a critical pain point: making technical support more accessible and visual. Users were abandoning products or leaving negative reviews because the text-heavy manual was confusing and hard to follow.
The Gap
Research from Amazon and Target reviews revealed three critical pain points:
- Low Manual Engagement Users skip the text-heavy manual entirely, leading to setup frustration and negative reviews like "Can't figure out how to set the time"
- Confusing Instructions Non-tech-savvy users (primary audience: seniors, parents) found instructions difficult to follow without visual guidance
- High Return/Support Volume Customers contacted support or returned products for issues that could be solved with proper setup guidance.
These pain points revealed the need for interactive, visual guidance that matches how people actually interact with the physical product.
The Solution
An interactive product replica that guides users through setup and troubleshooting in real-time.
Here's how it works:
1. Clickable Buttons: Users click buttons on the virtual clock to see what each one does, mimicking real-world interaction
2. Contextual Guidance: Each button click shows step-by-step instructions specific to that feature (e.g., "Night Light On" button shows how to toggle it)
3. Integrated Support: Quick access to video tutorials, FAQs, and customer support without leaving the page
Process
I followed the Double Diamond framework Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver—to guide the design process from initial research to implementation. This structure helped narrow a broad set of user pain points into a clear opportunity space, ultimately leading to a focused, user-centered solution. Each phase played a role in shaping the Virtual Clock feature into something purposeful, intuitive, and easy to use.
Problem
Discover
Problem
Definition
Diverge
Converge
Converge
Diverge
Define
Develop
Deliver
Solution
The design process was structured around the core elements of user experience design.
Strategy: Extensive user research was done which informed the creation of user personas.
Scope: The project’s value proposition was clearly defined. A MoSCoW analysis was conducted to prioritize features and functionality.
Structure: This involved building the structure of the product including developing user journey maps.
Skeleton: Brainstorming sessions were held to refine the sitemap and design early wireframes.
Surface: The final phase focused on the surface of the website. Here, high-fidelity wireframes were created, with detailed elements like colors, typography, and imagery. Additionally, a complete design system was developed.
Discover
As part of the discovery phase, I analyzed Sharp’s existing website and mobile experience to understand its current strengths and gaps. The research revealed a few key insights: the site provides very limited information about the brand or company, many Sharp products are missing from the catalog, and there is no active presence on social media. These gaps highlighted a lack of user engagement and brand visibility both of which informed the direction of the redesign.
Pain Points: Since most Sharp clocks are sold through platforms like Target and Amazon, I analyzed user reviews and Q&A sections to better understand the recurring issues customers face. This research revealed common pain points mostly centered around product setup, unclear instructions, and limited customer support. These insights helped shape the foundation for the Virtual Clock feature and overall support strategy.
Q. When you set the time, can you go forward or backwards…to easily just go earlier a little without having to go all the way around?
Phil December 19, 2017
Q. How do you adjust the led dimmer?
JC July 05, 2018
Q. How do you set the time?
Sho December 07, 2017
Q. Hey when it is pm the the red dot should be on when it is am the red light beside the pm should be off?
Kelsey February 05, 2020
Q. Is it easy to set the alarm?
Jimbo January 12, 2017
Q. Can the night light be turned off ?
IGP June 02, 2020
Q. How long is the snooze time ?
Neverathomemom March 19, 2019
Q. Does the red dot mean PM or AM?
Sleepy head March 16, 2020
Q. Can I manually turn the alarm on/off such as during weekend without waking up to turn off the alarm?
llc812 March 16, 2021
Existing User Manual: A closer look at the existing user manual revealed why so many customers were struggling:
It’s heavily text-based and lacks visual guidance
Instructions are often hard to follow, especially for non-tech-savvy users
Engagement is low, with many users skipping the manual entirely
Making updates or revisions to printed content is slow and inefficient
These limitations emphasized the need for a more dynamic, user-friendly support solution.
Define
Persona: Considering the Target audience for sharp products which are senior citizens, professionals, parents, etc, user persona for a student and an Interior designer has been considered.
Develop
Lo-Fi Wireframes: I began with low-fidelity wireframes to quickly explore layout ideas and task flows. This phase helped me experiment with different directions and refine the core experience before moving into detailed design.
UI Kit: The UI kit for Sharp was built using the brand’s existing colors, typography, and iconography, but restructured to appear more clean, consistent, and modern across screens. It ensured visual continuity while improving clarity, responsiveness, and usability across devices.
Deliver
Based on the usability testing, I gathered all the data and created a graph to highlight which tasks users found challenging. I then identified minimal changes that could solve these usability issues. I worked on five such problems, out of which three are shown below.
A virtual clock where users can click buttons and understand in real time what the product works. Such features are provided for all buttons on the product.
Access to YouTube videos related to the product which makes it even easier for the user to access their targeted question. To make this process even easier, key moments of the video have been highlighted at the bottom for specific questions that the users have been asking regarding the product.
Access to Frequently asked questions have been provided to answer the unmet questions regarding the product.
Conclusion
Biggest Learnings:
The biggest learning from SHARP was understanding how closely product confusion is tied to support burden. What appeared to be a simple physical product became difficult to use because users lacked clear, guided instruction. This project reinforced how digital experiences can act as effective extensions of physical products, reducing user frustration while minimizing dependency on customer support.
What Worked
Basing the solution on real user pain points extracted from Amazon and Target reviews proved especially effective. The interactive, click-based virtual alarm clock allowed users to learn by doing, closely mimicking real-world interactions. The step-by-step guidance reduced cognitive load and directly addressed the most common points of confusion, making the experience intuitive even for first-time users.
What I Would Do Differently
If I were to revisit this project, I would focus on making the experience even more intuitive so that users can understand key actions with minimal or no guidance. This would involve refining visual affordances, improving feedback, and relying more on natural interaction patterns rather than explanatory prompts.
Next Steps
Next steps include expanding usability testing to a broader user group, exploring progressive disclosure to reduce reliance on onboarding, and measuring long-term effectiveness in reducing customer support inquiries. The approach could also be extended to other consumer devices that generate high support demand due to usability challenges.